Congratulations to Michael Denham for winning the 2016 NSHSS Emerging Leader Award!

Michael Denham, Mandeville, LA
Louisiana State University 2018
Chemical Engineering & Economics major

Michael believes that a genuine understanding of the individuals one is leading is essential to success in leadership. He expounds on this belief by adding that empathetic, servant leadership is vital as well. Michael works with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and he is the founder and president of the LSU chapter of NAMI’s college affiliate. Michael also works with high school students in the debate program and civic engagement projects through YMCA. He participated in a YMCA-sponsored program, Youth and Government, as a high school student, and he now works with a team to plan statewide conferences each year for Youth Legislature and Model United Nations. Michael also serves the YMCA as the Youth Legislature Lead Advisor. He explains that he “has the immense privilege of educating the leaders of tomorrow.” Michael is an undergraduate research assistant for the Batzer Lab of Comparative Genomics, and he is an intern and volunteer for Ochsner Medical Center

About the NSHSS Emerging Leadership Award

This $1,000 scholarship is sponsored by Morgan Vazquez, President of the NSHSS Fellows Executive Board. Morgan is sponsoring this scholarship because winning a scholarship from NSHSS meant so much to her when she was in high school, and she wants to share that same excitement with a new emerging leader.

An NSHSS scholarship recipient in 2009, Morgan Vazquez graduated summa cum laude from Fordham University, where she remained actively engaged with NSHSS. As a Student Council member, Morgan spent time speaking and providing advice to college-bound students and served as an NSHSS representative during Nobel Week at the University of Stockholm. Currently, she is a Vice President – Senior Recruiter of Campus Strategy & Pipeline Development at BNY Mellon in New York City.