Caption: Austin Nation talks about his disease in an effort to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. Photo by Karen Tapia
Vote for Nation
Graduate Student is Semifinalist for Students in Service Award
Through a national web-voting contest, nursing graduate student Austin Nation has been named one of 50 semifinalists for the 2011 Students in Service Award.
The semifinalists — all college students who are promoting different causes — are vying for the scholarship award presented by the Washington Campus Compact, an organization that provides experiences for students to become leaders in their communities, and Inspireum, a social enterprise dedicated to leveraging collaborative technologies to celebrate outstanding achievements that inspire individuals and communities.
The 12 semifinalists who receive the most votes online by March 3 will be named finalists. To vote for Nation, go to the service awards website.
Nation, who earned his bachelor’s in nursing in 2009, has been a volunteer speaker for HIV/AIDS Positive Speakers and other nonprofit agencies. He delivers talks about his life before being diagnosed with HIV and then AIDS. His goal is to put a human face on the AIDS epidemic and help stem the spread of the life-threatening disease.
“Part of my story,” Nation said, “is to tell about what life is like today and, with that, I am charged with a renewed passion for life and living it to the fullest … each and every moment I am given.”
Once the finalists are selected, a committee of professors and service-learning directors from colleges and universities nationwide will choose one student to receive a $5,000 academic scholarship. A runner-up will receive a $2,500 scholarship and a “fan favorite,” the semifinalist who garners the most online votes, will receive a $2,500 scholarship. In addition, each winner’s university service-learning centers, as well as the nonprofit organizations they promote, will receive a $2,500 grant to support civic engagement/community service programs.
The semifinalists “have shown us how service can teach valuable lifelong leadership, problem solving and empathy skills,” said Tom Lindeman, Inspireum president. “Through these awards, we hope to motivate more college students to engage in service as an opportunity to build character and positively impact social and environmental challenges around the world.”
Feb. 22, 2011
