One of the first things Nastasya “Annie” Boyko saw when she made her way down Vera King Farris Drive as a first-year Stockton University student was the LED screen displaying the smiling face of Ensign John R. Elliott, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate whose tragic death has inspired the HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers.
For 15 years, the campaign has partnered with Stockton University to select a student who embodies the same responsibility and compassion that Elliott exemplified during his life. Elliott was hit and killed by a drunk driver on his way home for his mother’s birthday in 2000. That same year, his family founded the John R. Elliott Foundation and the HERO Campaign. The student selected is featured on signage around campus and on a billboard on the Atlantic City Expressway promoting the HERO Campaign’s message of safe driving.
Now a sophomore majoring in health science and sister of Sigma Delta Tau, Boyko has spent her first two years at Stockton making designated driving a cultural norm within her sorority, earning her the title of HERO of the Year for 2025.
“I honestly really hope that when people see my face, which is insane to me still, that it encourages them to do something a little bit different, because I don’t really feel like it’s as normalized as it should be,” Boyko said, referring to designated driving. “We’re all young and learning, but as much as we’re young and learning, there’s also learning safety and putting yourself before others.”
The HERO Campaign is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting designated drivers to prevent drunk driving tragedies. The attributes of a designated driver include being a hero by guaranteeing the safety of those on the road. The program urges people to designate a sober driver before drinking to limit the number of alcohol-related accidents and deaths. The campaign frequently works with law enforcement, schools and communities to raise awareness and encourage responsible drinking behaviors.
For Boyko, being the designated driver after a fun night out is no question for her. She almost lost a loved one in a car accident involving a drunken driver and feels that it should never be a big ask to remain sober before getting behind the wheel.
“I would just like to prevent as many accidents as I can, and I would rather know that my loved ones, or even someone I said hello to for a millisecond, got home or to their destination safely. It just brings me peace of mind,” said the Manalapan resident. “It’s never favor for favor, ‘Oh, you got me this time, I’ll drive next time.’ It should be more of a ‘Do it for me, do it from the heart.’”
When she’s not encouraging responsibility among her sorority, Boyko volunteers for their numerous philanthropy and service events, like their annual Battle of the Torch kickball tournament with fraternity Alpha Phi Delta that benefited the Brotherly Love Foundation and Prevent Child Abuse America.
“Our motto is ‘Empowered Women Empower Women,’ so that’s what we try to do,” Boyko said, admitting that she wasn’t sure about joining Stockton’s fraternity and sorority Life until she met her future sisters while pledging. “I met so many great girls, and it’s so funny because you hear the stereotypes, but it’s nothing like that. It’s so much more than that. You’re a part of something bigger than yourself.”
Boyko doesn’t take this opportunity lightly, sharing that being selected as this year’s HERO is an “honor.”
“I will not disappoint,” Boyko said emphatically. “I am so very grateful and thankful to be the HERO of the Year. It’s amazing what the Elliott family did to emphasize this message.”
