Riverwood Student Wins Woodrow Wilson Community Service Award

SANDY SPRINGS, GA - From Riverwood International Charter School: Congratulations to Riverwood International Charter School senior Dori Balser who is a recipient of the Princeton Club of Georgia Woodrow Wilson Community Service Award. Balser will be honored at the Georgia State Capitol in September with her parents and Riverwood Principal, Mr. Chuck Gardner.

Balser is in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and serves as Student Body Vice President. She is one of only 16 high school students selected to serve on the Youth Board of the United Way of Greater Atlanta. As a Youth Board member, Balser helps plan service projects for Atlanta teens. One such project is the annual "shoebox" project, which collects and distributes shoeboxes filled with basic
necessities to homeless women and children in Greater Atlanta.

Balser was Riverwood’s 2017 'HOBY Ambassador' representing Riverwood at the Hugh O'Brian Summer Youth Leadership Conference. HOBY ambassadors, selected for their potential to lead others, discover and sharpen leadership skills at the conference, and come face-to- face with current leaders in such fields as government, media, business, and education.

Balser said "Service has always been an important part of my life. I believe that it is our responsibility as humans to be there for other humans in times of need. As teens, we need to value the importance of service and helping other people, because we are the future. One day, our parents and teachers will not be there to help us, so we need to learn how to be there for each other."

The Princeton Club of Georgia established the Woodrow Wilson Community Service Award in 1985. The award honors Atlanta-area high school juniors who, through community involvement and personal initiative, best exemplify the ideals of service and volunteerism espoused by Woodrow Wilson, former President of the United States and of Princeton University. The ideal candidate volunteers out of a passion to improve our
community, not to fulfill school requirements or to build a resume, and for whom service is a part of everyday life.

"It is such an honor to receive this award. I hope this inspires people my age to get involved in service. Not only does it help others tremendously, but I have grown so much as a leader and as a person through my service to others."

Image via Riverwood International Charter School