Wheelock College celebrates Lisvet Peralta, Jamaica Plain local and member of the Wheelock Class of 2019, along with 16 other Passion for Action Scholars at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum from 6 to 9 pm, on Wednesday, November 18, 2015.
The Passion for Action Leadership Award Reception will celebrate deserving Wheelock students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to community service and social justice.
Wheelock College’s four-year Passion for Action Scholarship Program is open to incoming freshmen from Greater Boston who already demonstrated an exceptional commitment to community service and involvement. The event will honor two sets of partners who have established inspiring nonprofit organizations committed to improving the lives of children and families. The first honoree and recipient of the 2015 Passion for Action Leadership Award is Born This Way Foundation, co-founded by Lady Gaga and Cynthia Germanotta, which will be recognized for its work empowering youth. The second honorees, Kennedy Odede and Jessica Posner Odede, will serve as keynote speakers and receive the 2015 Passion for Action Leadership Award for empowering girls in underserved areas in Kenya through their nonprofit Shining Hope for Communities.
Peralta graduated from City on a Hill Charter Public School. While she attended, she spent time volunteering at the YMCA on Huntington Avenue, playing on the volleyball team, and participating in the Art Club. She plans to major in psychology at Wheelock. She is interested in working with children who grew up dealing with bullying or discrimination.
With the funds raised through the inaugural event in 2007, the College created the Passion for Action Scholarship Program for outstanding incoming Wheelock students from Greater Boston. The scholarship is paired with a unique academic program that develops these students' leadership and community service skills. The first Passion Scholars graduated from Wheelock in May 2012, and there are currently 17 Passion Scholars enrolled, with an additional five scholarships awarded to each incoming class.
The proceeds from the 2015 Passion for Action Leadership Award Reception will support the growth of this special scholarship program.
Tickets begin at $300. Find information on sponsorship and tickets at wheelock.edu/passion