Joshua P. Fess
Nazareth College
Joshua P. Fess, a sophomore at Nazareth College, is a leader active in addressing issues of global poverty and access to quality education. I am inspired by Joshua's extraordinary efforts to address these issues and for his commitment to work against discrimination, prejudice, and bigotry at local, national, and global levels. Joshua's work in Nicaragua teaching children and his work in Ethiopia advocating for the rights of hearing impaired children, are just two examples of how he is a model for active global citizenship. Joshua has also committed himself to working in solidarity with community members to promote social justice through the studying of the Civil Rights Movement, which included traveling to Alabama and Tennessee. In the coming months, Joshua will bear witness to the injustices committed during the Holocaust through a Nazareth sponsored trip to Poland and Germany. As an Executive Board Member for Nazareth's Alternative Breaks program, Joshua actively promotes and plans week-long service immersion experiences that enable other students to have national and global service experiences. Through Joshua's dedication to civic engagement, he continues to develop the understanding, commitment, and confidence to lead a fully informed and actively engaged life.
Personal Statement
I have been involved in community service my entire life. Honoring our veterans by creating a veteran's memorial in a cemetery for my Eagle Scout Project, and creating and founding my own organization, known as Operation Potter Patriot, to rebuild a local veterans' memorial are some of the projects that drew me to further service work. My goal of becoming a history teacher ultimately fueled my commitment to social justice issues revolving around the lack of quality education for all children both locally and globally. I have tutored youth from urban schools and have worked with, and advocated for, children in a variety of global school settings. In Ethiopia, I had the opportunity to teach about hands-on learning methods and the benefits of using physical and visual manipulatives for young students who were hearing impaired, which increased retention of new material. I have also been involved in many diversity initiatives on campus, most recently traveling to historical locations in the south to study the Civil Rights Movement, where I had the opportunity to engage in dialogue with individuals about social justice issues that still exists today and potential solutions to these injustices.
