Students selected to attend Clinton Global Initiative University


LAWRENCE — Two students from the University of Kansas have been selected to attend the 2013 Clinton Global Initiative University at Washington University in St. Louis. The sixth annual CGI U meeting will be April 5-7. Both students are members of the University Honors Program.

Alyssa Ong, a senior in accounting and finance, and Leigh Loving, a junior in anthropology were selected after submitting applications that included a commitment to action. A commitment to action is a concrete plan that addresses a pressing challenge in one of CGI U's five focus areas: education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation or public health. 

Building on the successful model of the Clinton Global Initiative, which brings together world leaders to take action on global challenges, former President Bill Clinton launched the Clinton Global Initiative University in 2007 to engage the next generation of leaders on college campuses around the world.

Each year, CGI U hosts a meeting where students, youth organizations, topic experts and celebrities come together to discuss and develop innovative solutions to pressing global challenges. The 2013 CGI U will bring together more than 1,000 college students with innovators, thought leaders and civically engaged celebrities.

Alyssa OngAlyssa Ong, an international student from Malaysia, is a KU-IIE (Institute of International Education) award holder and also an Honors Program ambassador, peer mentor and Honors Seminar assistant. She has completed the Certification for Service Learning and achieved a Certification of Distinction for the Global Awareness Program. Alyssa is also a tutor in the School of Business. In her commitment to action, Alyssa created and implemented math modules in underserved schools and communities, in Richmond, Va., designed to help educated children from low-income communities. She worked with the Peter Paul Development Center in Richmond.

Leigh Loving, from McPherson, is a Kansas Health Foundation Fellow in Community Health and Development and an EMT-Basic. During her freshman year at KU, Leigh organized and led a medical mission trip to Guatemala. She has also participated in the Alternative Spring Breaks program and is an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta and an Honors Program ambassador. In her commitment to action, Leigh created and implemented the Jayhawk Health Initiative, a pre-health program on campus that provides medical missions and medical training in developing countries, while providing medical services to the most impoverished communities.

Each student was supported by a KU Honors Opportunity Fund. The Honors Program provides funds for students to take advantage of transformational opportunities away from campus. These funds can be used to support travel to academic conferences, study abroad, internships (unpaid), service work or other opportunities that enhance the student’s academic experience as an undergraduate.

Thu, 04/04/2013

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Anne Wallen

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Anne Wallen

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