Meet Nazareth's "Whiz Kid" Josh Aurand

"Whiz Kid" Facts:

• Name: Josh Aurand
• School:

School Activities:

• Chamber Singers
• Coda Red (Moravian Academy’s a capella group)
• Was elected co-president of the junior class
• Was a class representative during the last school year

School Sports:

• Boys cross country

Accomplishments:

• Attended the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth summer program at the Peabody Campus in Baltimore
• Is an A student with a GPA greater than a 4.0
• Achieved high scores on the School and College Abilities Test (SCAT)

"Whiz Kid" Key to Awesomeness: 

While many kids his age were at the pool, the mall or a part-time job over summer vacation, Josh Aurand, 16, was seeking out opportunities to bring purpose and meaning to his life.

Because of his academic excellence and high SCAT scores, this Lower Nazareth Township lad was invited to attend the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth summer program at the Peabody Campus in Baltimore, where he participated in the Civic Leadership Institute.

“I left with a sense that I owe it to myself and those around me to do service,” Josh said. “Service should have direct contact with people.”

The service learning program introduced Josh to the complex social issues plaguing communities, like poverty and homelessness. The academic side provided strategies, developed leadership skills and provided the tools to enact positive social change through community organization.

“We got samples of what service is like,” Josh explained. “We worked a soup kitchen, helped build a house and did landscaping for a neighborhood school in Baltimore.” 

Working with the homeless was an “eye-opening” experience for Josh, breaking down myths about how and why people are homeless.

“They weren’t the people you would have expected, they weren’t from bad conditions,” he said.

An active member of his Allentown congregation at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Josh participates in worship as a lector, serves breakfast to the neighborhood and is involved in neighborhood outreach events as his academic and extracurricular schedule permits.

Josh was inspired by the lay leadership of his father, Mark, in the church’s effort to create an inclusive and dynamic congregation that takes into account the needs of the surrounding Allentown community. 

He lists affluence, a stable household, an intact family and an education as among the many gifts that are a consequence of his “privileged” status. It is because of this awareness of privilege that he believes it necessary to give back to the community and to help those who have not been fortunate enough to experience the blessings he has. Josh does not feel that service is an obligation but a choice. 

Josh doesn't boast about his academic success, though he is an A student with a GPA greater than a 4.0 at Bethlehem's Moravian Academy, where he takes honors courses. He enjoys ping-pong, photography and music.

For the past three years, he has participated in cross country, which he refers to as a “lifestyle,” the Chamber Singers and Coda Red (Moravian Academy’s a capella group), and was elected co-president of the junior class. Last year he was a class representative. 

“I want to make our grade feel closer with bonding activities along with fundraising for the Junior Prom,” Josh said about his involvement in school.

In describing his key to awesomeness, Josh said, “I’m a compassionate person, fairly responsible and invested in the things I do.”

His mother, Teresa, would say that it is his deep compassion, empathy and self-awareness that sets him apart as a “quiet” leader. Josh does not do community service for a badge or recognition of any kind. He does not do it to feel important or valued.

“When he has a goal set for himself, he will buckle down and make the necessary sacrifices to achieve the long-term goal,” his mother said.

“I work hard and [that] is generally why I have good grades,” Josh said. “I think the church connection is important because without church, I wouldn’t feel like I had a connection to the outside world.”

In the future, Josh intends to continue church-based service and can see himself involved in community service when he gets to college. He is interested in putting his leadership skills to use in community organization, working for either a church or non-profit organization.