This year's recipient for initiative and leadership in community services goes to Roslyn High School senior Jourdan Urbach, of Roslyn, New York, who was selected for his outstanding dedication to helping children with neurological illnesses. He founded Children Helping Children (CHC) while still a child himself. A violin prodigy, he encourages young musicians to present “Concerts for a Cure” across the globe, raising money to save lives through music. He has been able to headline performances drawing large audiences at major concert halls throughout the United States and to perform at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. CHC has raised more than $1.4 million to be used nationally for music therapy as pain management, surgical scholarships for the indigent, home health care, and cutting edge research. Jourdan received a National Prudential Spirit of Community Award in 2007 and will be honored at our Scholar's Day celebration on May 30, in Washington, D.C., where he will perform a violin solo during the ceremony.
The Robert Sheppard Leadership Award was established in memory of NSHSS Vice President Robert Sheppard, who worked for twenty years with college and high school honor societies. He was a great friend dedicated to helping young people and spent his life devoting himself to volunteer service.
We are also pleased this year to award $250 to these top finalists for Robert Sheppard Leadership Award:
Mylo Cheng, of Palm Beach, Florida, for his involvement with the Youth Empowered Ambassadors for Health (YEAH) Project
Michael Odokara-Okigbo, of Portland, Maine, for this work with Mugadi (I will Live) Foundation, assisting AIDS orphans
Greg Woodburn, of Ventura, California, for his “Share our Soles” nonprofit organization dedicated to providing running shoes for underprivileged youth.
Note: We will announce 2008 Claes Nobel Academic Scholarships and National Scholars Award next month.