From a young age, Hoerr said her parents have played a huge role in her being able to see the value of giving back. Her father is on the board of Habitat for Humanity, while her mother runs her own interior design and home staging company, Redesign Cville.

“She always made sure that my sister Berkeley and I realized how lucky we were growing up with everything we needed, and that many families in Charlottesville cannot afford necessities,” Hoerr said. “Both of my parents have strong entrepreneurial spirits and so I think that is where I learned from a young age that if you really want something you need to go after it with all of your heart and put in the effort to realize your goals.” 

During the rest of her time at UVA, Hoerr hopes to integrate Backpack Buddies into the UVA community, potentially through a collaboration with Madison House.

“We’re so proud of what Lucia has accomplished,” Carter Hoerr said. “Over the past 10 years she has shown both determination and real empathy for the needy kids in our area – two pretty remarkable traits for a kid her age.”

Read the rest of this UVA Today story here.