NEWS

Lauryn Nwankpa (left) received the Unilever Legacy of Leadership Award and Elyse Phillips (right) was the recipient of the Spike Lee Youth Motivation Award for their outstanding academic achievements and community service work. Lauryn attends the University of Chicago. Elyse is a junior attending University of Miami.

2008 Unilever Legacy of Leadership Award
Lauryn Nwankpa (NUH-One-puh)

Lauryn Nwankpa’s leadership skills truly exemplify the traits and qualities of Jackie Robinson. A junior at the University of Chicago, Nwankpa is majoring in Comparative Human Development. She also serves as president of the newly established Cultures in Action, a campus organization that focuses on bringing students of different cultural backgrounds together for social and educational opportunities as well as community service projects.

Realizing that there was a growing disparity in resources and information in her hometown of Evanston, Illinois, Lauryn co-created the Evanston Black Summit. (EBS). EBS serves as an intermediary between Evanston’s black community and the many organizations dedicated to serving this community. The summit has covered topics ranging from HIV/AIDS to standardized test preparation. The theme of last year’s program was “Strong Families Build Strong Communities,” which focused on the role of the family and its impact on businesses, organizations, programs and services.

In addition to her leadership position with EBS, Lauryn was also a member of the varsity track & field team and a student organization leader at the University of Chicago’s Community Service Center. In her capacity at the Community Service Center, she gave free tours to underrepresented, low income and first generation middle and high school students. She also works in an after school program on Chicago’s South Side and has worked at the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago's Law School.  Upon graduation, Lauryn would like to attend law school, where she will focus on race relations.

2008 Spike Lee Youth Motivation Award
Elyse Phillips

Elyse Phillips is a junior attending University of Miami, majoring in International Studies with a focus on Public Health. During her three years as a JRF Scholar, she has been a tremendous inspiration to others through her continued dedication to her campus and surrounding community.

This past academic year, Elyse served as a facilitator for the I.M.P.A.C.T. Leadership Retreat, an intense weekend-long leadership immersion program. She was also a facilitator for the first class of the Freshmen Leadership Academy, a new initiative at the University of Miami crafted to enhance the experience of freshmen students while providing them with opportunities to increase their leadership potential and abilities.

Elyse has also worked to raise funds for two local organizations. Her involvement in the “Break the Formula” Benefit Concert helped raise significant funds to fight the local housing and poverty crisis in Miami. Her role as president of the Yellow Rose Society has made a tremendous impact on many youngsters in Miami. The Yellow Rose Society is a community service organization for women on campus. Members volunteer twice weekly with at-risk children in the Miami area and also host events to raise funds for scholarship programs. The organization also conducts an art contest with local elementary and middle schools.

While it has been a very busy year for Elyse, each of these various positions have helped her to continue following her passion in promoting the importance of service and leadership to her classmates and her community. It’s a legacy she says she plans to continue in her future career in public health.