The Broadsheet Daily: SAGE Advice: Find a Way to Serve

Three Lower Manhattan Students Singled Out for Making a Difference

By Dianne Renzulli

"I don't know what your destiny will be," Albert Schweitzer once told a group of students, "but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve." Seemingly guided by these sentiments, three Downtown high school students have been recognized by State Senator Daniel Squadron and were awarded the third annual Service and Government Engagement (SAGE) Awards. Elementary, middle and high schools across Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn nominated students for the SAGE Award. Students are selected for showing a deep commitment to public service beyond the classroom.

Senator Squadron began the award program in 2009 to recognize students' achievements and foster a lifelong commitment to public service among New York's young people. Each school nominates its own candidates and forwards the names to Senator Squadron's office, where the final selection is made.

This year's SAGE Award recognized Richard Hargis, a senior at the Leadership and Public Service High School (located at 90 Trinity Place), for his 500-plus hours of service in the Explorer Program, sponsored by the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The program engages students in a variety of exercises designed to offer insight into the skills necessary for a career in law enforcement.

Lily Kwan, a senior at the High School of Economics and Finance (located at 100 Trinity Place), won her SAGE Award for work in the school's administrative offices. She helped with orientations and parent-teacher conferences, and numerous other aspects of school-community support over the past two years.

Shinenieces Evans, a twelfth-grade student at John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy Charter School (located at 17 Battery Place), received the SAGE Award for her exemplary internship with the Bedford Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Service. She volunteered 20 to 30 hours per week, providing support with both administrative and fund-raising projects.

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