Nov. 16: Speaking at Wheelock College’s Passion for Action Award Dinner – JFK Library, Boston
Lyonel Traversiere, Haitian American student and one of 18 Passion for Action Scholarship Winners to be honored at Wheelock College's Dinner on November 16.
On November 16 at the John F. Kennedy Library I will join several speakers, all sharing our stories and insights, into what shapes everyday people into “Passionaries,”* people driven to pursue a mission — even a calling — and spark passionate commitment among others.
Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
6:00-9:00 p.m.
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Boston, MA
RSVP Lauren Marquis at 617-879-2328 or lmarquis@wheelock.edu.
Guests at Wheelock College’s third annual Passion for Action Award Dinner will hear what inspired award recipients Carol R. Johnson, Superintendent, Boston Public Schools, and Linda F. Nathan, Founder and co-Headmaster, Boston Arts Academy, to raise the standards of educational excellence at urban schools.
One of the 18 students to be honored will be Haitian American student Lyonel Traversiere of Randolph, who received the College’s highly selective Passion for Action Scholarship in 2010. As reported by his hometown paper, The Randolph Herald, Lyonel “is now a sophomore at Wheelock where he works as a resident assistant and a fundraising phone-a-thon caller. Traversiere is the son of two Haitian immigrants, and considers himself fortunate to have had the opportunity to grow up in Boston. He hopes to help his community through service, and show that his parents’ sacrifices were never in vain.” Deeply concerned about the impact of the 2010 Haitian earthquake on the country where he was raised until a teenager, Lyonel has shared with me that he hopes to use his education to help the people of Haiti.
Starting in 2007, Wheelock has raised funds through its annual dinner to support the Passion for Action Scholarship Program. These four-year scholarships are given to entering Wheelock students from Greater Boston who have demonstrated a strong commitment to community service and involvement. The scholarship is paired with a unique academic and mentoring program that further develops these students’ leadership and community service skills.
Click here to read more about Wheelock College’s Passion for Action Scholarship Program.
Since its founding, Wheelock College has become a “national and world leader in higher education, preparing not only early childhood educators but also human services and child life professionals, juvenile justice advocates, and policy leaders – in all, 18,000 graduates dedicated to serving society by improving the lives of children and families.”
For stories of 35 “Passionaries,” who inspired the Wheelock College Passion for Action event, see Meltzer, Barbara R., Passionaries: Turning Compassion into Action.