Prior to their national qualifier, the Students in Action gather together for a conference in which speakers come to talk about leadership, developing projects, and overcoming challenges on January 18. Photo used with permission of English teacher Eduardo Torres.

Commonly referred to as the Nobel Peace Prize of community service, the gold Jefferson Award was awarded to Students in Action for their community service. The Jefferson Awards foundation was created in 1972 to promote change in communities and the world through service. The foundation promotes specialized public services and engagement in school and the community.

“You get to use your passion and create a project out of that,” Strobel said. “The level of work is a lot more intense than other service clubs. It definitely requires a special type of person who is incredibly dedicated.”

Leading projects throughout the year, the club had a competition on March 8. Students in Action had to write 30 essays about how they engaged the community and their impact. They also delivered an eight minute presentation in front of 12 judges describing their projects and overall growth. The essays and presentation were then graded out of 100 points, determining the winner.

“This year we did a lot more projects in which we met people that we were impacting,” Strobel said. “The more you know about who you’re impacting, the more you can tailor your service to their needs.”

Although the club is competitive, the members focus on helping those in need and making an impact in their community.

“In the end, service shouldn’t be about the hours you get at graduation or the praise,” Strobel said. “It truly should be about connecting with and helping those less fortunate.”

After winning the Jefferson Award, Students in Action now has the opportunity to compete at the national level in Washington D.C in June.