In this, our 25th year making awards to young people to encourage public service, we are contacting as many former winners as we can find to hear about their lives now. Here is a small sample as of June 2008. (The project is currently underway.)

“…The Saxe Prize funded my summer internship in the Oceans Program at the Environmental Defense Fund. I focused on helping to establish marine reserves along the Pacific Coast…My internship confirmed that I wanted to pursue work at the intersection of science and policy…I graduated from law school at Berkeley in 2005 with specialization in environmental law. I am now in my hometown of San Diego where I practice land use and environmental law. “ Adrianna Kripke 1999

“…I was funded to develop hepatitis B education for Chicago public schools. Since the award I graduated with an MD and MPH from the U of Illinois at Chicago…At medical school I was awarded the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship …and have begun a non-profit called Filipino American Community Health Initiative…the first organization of its kind in Illinois and possibily the Midwest. I have a strong interest to address health disparities seen in Asian American communities.” Jane Jih 2002

” …As part of my Saxe Prize, I ended up starting a non-profit called Schoolchildren of the World…Over the last four years I have been working at the children’s education, publishing and media company, Scholastic…As Director of Online Learning Services, I developed a new interactive learning site for kids in Grades 3-6 called Study Jams. “ David Moricca 1998

…After serving as policy director for the Kentucky State Treasurer, helping to launch Kentucky’s Affordable Prepaid Tuition Program, I went back to my roots working with youth and media literacy. The result was the “Youth News Team,” a series of Emmy Award winning public radio broadcasts. That led to my current role with the Pritchard Committee for Academic Excellence, a statewide citizen’s advocacy organization that works to improve the quality of Kentucky’s public schools…I’m marrioed with two children, in Kentucky for the past eight years. I’ll never forget the Saxe Fund, one of my earliest boosters in the public service field. It really made a difference.” (Saxe Prize for “Kid Company” radio program ). Rachel Burg Belin 1992

“…I’m now working for the San Francisco Department of Public Health based at San Francisco General Hospital & Trauma Center. A couple of the larger initiatives we are workiing on are universal health care for San Franciscans and the rebuilding of San Francisco General Hospital, (measure #1 on upcoming ballot). Yeah to Public Service! ” Ken Coelho 2005

“… I know most certainly that I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for the faith and support that your Fund put in me… At Columbia University’s School of Int’l Affairs where I just finished my first year of graduate school, my colleague, Salim al-Jahwari, and I just won the Davis Peace Prize for our project “Rallying Youth for Intergenerational Change in the Arab-Israeli Conflict.” The $10,000 prize will be used for a conflict management and negotiations workshop of our design.” Liat Shetret 2006

“… I have always held with great pride the receiving of this award…Since then I have completed law school, been admitted to the bar…worked at the New York State Banking Deparment…been staff attorney at Bronx Legal Services…I am now an Education Law Specialist & Senior Staff Attorney with Legal Services NYC in the Bronx. , , During these past nine years, I have represented hundreds of families in various legal proceedings to ensure their children receive an appropriate education. Outside of “formal” work, I have continued my involvement in the Chinese American community, organizing low wage immigrant workers. In 2003 I was elected president of the 318 Restaurant Workers Union. . Since then, NYC’s Chinatown has seen significant improvements to the working conditions in its restaurants.” Nelson Mar 1997

” …Following the summer in which I received the Saxe Prize (interning at the US Dept of Education), I taught HS history in Chelsea, MA…then moved on as aide to the Deputy Superintendent in the Boston Public Schools where I coordinated principal professional development for some 50 schools… I obtained my Ed. M and was then was acepted into the Urban Superintendents Doctoral Program at Harvard. This fall, I worked with the superintendent of schools in Stamford, CT which I continue to do while working for my doctorate ” Rebecca Williams Thessin 2000

“…Following my summer at the Department of Justice supported by the Saxe Fund, I spent a year in Ireland on a Fullbright grant. I’m currently a policy advisor to Senator Kennedy on the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. ” Kelsey Phipps 2001

” …After completing my Ph.D. and working as an assistant of professor political studies at Bard College, I joined the foreign service five years ago. I have since served in our embassies in Tel Aviv, Tripoli and Baghdad…I’m getting married in 5 days and heading to Paris this year. ” (Saxe Prize for work with the Goldstone Commission in South Africa). James Miller 1993

“…I used my award for Summerbridge in Manchester, NH, teaching underserved middle-school kids… I also continued learning while working as an assistant to Jonathan Kozol who writes about inequality in our nation’s schools…I joined Teach for America in 2001 and became a sixth-grade teacher in Phoenix…I am now married and living in Costa Rica working as a speechwriter for President Oscar Arias, a Nobel laureate. Education is still my passion…The President has recently assigned me coordinator of a program to improve English instruction at all levels throughout the country.” Katherine Stanley Obando 1998

“…After I won the award (for work with US Rep. Hinojosa’s office, McDaniel, TX) I worked with Teach for America as an elementary school teacher in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Miami…I’m now attending Cardozo School of Law…I’ll continue my public service next year through a securities arbitration clinic where I will be an advocate for victims of financial law crimes. Life is good. ” Daniel Martinez 2003

“…Currently am practicing employment law in Newark…I am still involved in a number of education -focused endeavors both in my hometown of Newark, as well as NYC. I am a board member of a youth leadership development program for HS students based in Harlem…Long term I hope to launch some education initiatives for Newark’s youth. I am truly grateful to the Saxe Fund for enabling me to work at the Children’s Defense Fund,and I applaud your efforts and commitment to public service.” Junea Williams 2000

” …Since working at the State Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina (which the Saxe Fund helped make happen), I went to law school at McGill and worked last summer at McGill’s Centre for Human Rights and helped organize the Global Conference on the Prevention of Genocide. I have also led the Human Rights Working Group on campus.. .I hope to work in international law. “ Sam Walker 2005

“… the work that I did at Camp Jabberwocky, enabled by the Saxe fund, has informed much that I continue to do in my life…After that summer working with people with mental and physical disabilities, I went on to work at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children with life threatening illinesses… I taught math in Tanzania, which inspired the beginning of Tanzania’s first Community Education Resource Centre (www.kitetocerc.org). I worked on this from 1999-2004… back at my alma mater, Haverford College, I helped start a Center for Peace & Global Citizenship.” Now working for Ph.D. in education. Carrie Oelberger 1996

“…I won a Fulbright scholarship to England and spent the next three years at Oxford University…I feel that foundations such as yours help advance an important dimension of the pluralism I am writing about. You provide summer opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available, and these can open up many different kinds of paths that would not exist otherwise. Also, you use your own evaluative criteria so the students you choose as recipients of summer grants are not always the same people another organization would choose. This serves the pluralistic goal of having more diverse and independent evaluators, each of whom might be the one to appreciate an individual’s potential.” Joey Fishkin ’99, Saxe prize for work at Connecticut Voices for Children.

“…I wanted to send you an update of where I am now, since your scholarship helped me to go to Kenya to work with street children in 1996. Since that time, I have founded a nonprofit organization that continues to support homeless and destitute kids in school and in vocational training experiences. We now have 69 children. I go back to Kenya every year to see them…But that is not my day job. I am a journalist with the Boston Globe…As you can see, your help so many years ago is still making its mark on needy kids.” Farah Stockman ’96, Saxe prize for year’s work as creator/director of Street Children’s Cooperative, Nairobi.

“…I have taken a job with Teach for America as the Deputy Director of Admissions, working out of the national headquarters in NYC, managing the team that processes the over 15,000 applications that Teach for America gets each year. I wanted to write and thank you. ” Kathy Ray ’94, Saxe prize for work with United Farm Workers.

” …I had a powerful experience at the Saxe Fund conference in D.C. in 1998 and would be thrilled to hear that another might be on the horizon at some point… Summerbridge and the Saxe Fund were such a formative component of my career decision…I am working on my doctoral degree in education at Teachers College, Columbia. I have been doing exciting work and look forward to having a direct impact on the literacy curriculum in urban public schools.” Tamara Glupczynski ’96 Saxe prize for work with Summerbridge.

“…Oxford and the Marshall Commission have awarded me a scholarship and stipend to pursue my doctorate in international relations after I finish my master’s this year…I’m writing on US foreign policy in the immediate aftermath of genocides (e.g. how to deal with genocide perpetrators, victims, social institutions, etc…” Zachary Kaufman ’00, Saxe prize for internship at U.S. State Department.

“…Without your assistance, the knowledge and experience I am gaining would have been inaccessible to me…I can’t think of anything nobler than giving grants to students for personal growth and public service. In reality, the fund selflessly entrusts young people with opportunity to follow through…” Daniel Martinez ’03, Saxe prize for internship in Congressman Hinojosa’s district office in McAllen, TX.

“…I am involved in a number of public interest energy projects. My work follows directly from activities made possible by a Saxe grant to work on solar energy and appropriate technology in India in 1991. Thank you!” Chris Greacen ’91.

“…Seiji was an amazing addition to the program and took his growth as a teacher as well as the growth of his students very seriously. He was both a mentor and a role model…I could not ask for more from one of my faculty members…” Director of Day School, Summerbridge, San Francisco, about work of Seiji Shirane ’03.

“…Thank you for making it possible for so many of us to pursue public service and for believing in us.” Diana Hu ’00, Saxe prize for internship at Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice.

“…I want to take this opportunity to thank the J. W. Saxe Fund for making possible what proved to be an extremely powerful and personally meaningful experience. I am deeply grateful that I was given the chance to undertake work that taught me much about medicine, my intended profession, and also granted me the privilege of aiding those less fortunate. It means a lot to me that the Saxe Fund saw fit to invest in my future.” Pavan Bendapudi ’02, Saxe prize for year’s work with Doctors without Borders on TB control in Thailand.

“…I worked for the Wilderness Society and Americans for Our Heritage and Recreation, a wonderful year in Washington, D. C…. I am now taking part in a four-year joint program between Vermont Law School and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.” Rachel Goldwasser ’01, Saxe prize for teaching students in rehab at Community High School, Nashville,TN.

“… I hope to pursue death penalty/criminal defense work. I graduated from Fordham Law School…clerked for Judge Robert Ward of the Southern District of New York…and Judge Maryanne Trump Barry in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Thank you for everything! ” Susanna Chung ’96, Saxe prize for work with Korean women at Rainbow Center, Flushing, NY.

“…I’ve been a visiting fellow at Stanford’s Center for International Security and Cooperation …My research overseas involved some two years in Britain, India and Pakistan…All of these experiences stem directly from my internship at the U. S. Embassy in New Delhi, which was made possible by the Saxe Prize…thanks for getting it all started for me! ” Lucy Chester ’97

“Rashida’s work here was a success…Her project proved to be meaningful and will have a lasting positive impact on all of her students. ” Directora Associacion Masaya sin Fronteras, Nicaragua. About Rashida Roberts, 2003 winner.

“Thank you very much for giving us the opportunity to work with such a talented young woman. Sari was a wonderful addition…she was flexible, energetic, creative, responsive, willing, curious, supportive, reliable and fun to be with.” Director of program for homeless youth, Portland, OR. About Sari Toplin, 2003 winner.