Steven Sakayroun, Westminster College

Steven Sakayroun, a junior at Westminster College in Missouri, is a student leader active in issues surrounding poverty and empowerment of our global community. Within three years, Steven has been a resident advisor on campus, a first-year student mentor, and the leader of many service-orientated projects and organizations, including the Westminster Poverty Initiative. One of Steven’s goals for the Poverty Initiative for this year is to raise at least $2,000 to go towards helping young Ugandan women seek further education. Prior to attending Westminster College, Steven was honored with his selection into the inaugural class of the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, a school dedicated to developing the next generation of African leaders. Continuing his efforts to help those in need, Steven has been extensively involved with the Bright Light Campaign that provides solar study lamps to middle-school students living in remote Rwandan villages. Steven is an exceptionally passionate and kind leader that embodies the values of Westminster College and those of Dr. Frank Newman. Steven’s potential to bring improvements to those on our campus and in the global community is unlimited. Westminster is honored to enthusiastically support Steven as our Newman Civic Fellow and in his future endeavors.  
-George B. Forsythe, President

Positive change is a concept that I have always kept at heart. From a very early age, I have come to experience the concept of inequality in different spheres of my community. It always made me wonder, how do I help make the world a fairer place? This lead me to take part in numerous initiatives started either by friends or myself from an early age. When I was 15, I started collecting money from friends and we would use that money to provide food for mothers in my area who were economically disadvantaged. We were able to help a mother school her kid few months later. This helped me realize that not only could the world be positively changed but also that I could help bring that change to reality. In 2008, I joined the inaugural class of the African Leadership Academy, a school whose mission is to develop the next generation of African Leaders. While there, I took part in community outreach activities and helped a community become economically sustainable through farming activities. Today, I constantly strive to live a life of genuine love in the hope that I can create timely and timeless ripples of positive change.
-Steven Sakayroun