| ?From my father, mother and sister, I have learned si, se puede (yes, you can do it),? says Jonathan Julio Jourdane, the 2004 National Hispanic Heritage Youth Award winner for Academic Excellence, sponsored by Chase and MasterCard International. A graduate of Point Loma High School in San Diego, Jonathan will attend Stanford University in the fall, a clear result of his superior academic achievement, leadership activities, and profound dedication to helping others. Of Panamanian descent, Jonathan plans to study Political Science as an undergraduate, and then attend law school, and pursue a career as a civil rights lawyer. Jonathan says that many experiences helped shape his ultimate dream -- to one day land a seat on the United States Supreme Court. Jonathan?s father was a lawyer for Mexican Farm workers, who has argued before the Supreme Court, and made it his mission to help the less fortunate. This instilled in Jonathan a deep sense of social responsibility in everything he does. Jonathan was accepted to a three-year fellowship program, which aims to enrich the lives of a diverse group of students by teaching them responsibility and the art of giving to others. Through this program he was able to travel to Washington D.C. and speak with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsberg the day after they upheld Affirmative Action for graduate school. The fellowship program and his father?s positive example inspired Jonathan to start the Cesar E. Chavez Service Club, uniting young people of all ethnicities and backgrounds to perform community service and leadership initiatives. Through this club, he led others in beach and school clean-ups, fundraisers, tree-planting, and exercises aimed at encouraging values championed by Cesar Chavez, such as non-violence and sacrifice. Jonathan received the Rotary Youth Leadership Award, the Point Loma Gold Scholar Award, and the Governor?s Scholar Award for his achievement as an outstanding student, and as a role model for his peers. Just this year he was able to meet writer and director Luis Valdez and Co-Founder and First Vice President Emeritus of the American Farm Workers of America, Dolores Huerta. Jonathan says speaking to them about their lifelong commitment to Civil Rights was truly moving, and he now believes more than ever in his dream. |
