Leaders in Service: Current Recipients

Taylor Adney has been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program, Mission Honduras and the Tulane Catholic Center.  She has tutored at both Lafayette Academy and Sophie B. Wright High School.  She was also nominated for the Runsdorf Award by Dr. Lisa Szecther for her research on the nature of parent-child interactions.

Samantha Cook has been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program, SILA Reading Room at Lafayette Academy, A's and Aces, and the Homelessness Action Team of Tulane.  She participated in the Idea Group to Re/Think Women, Development, and Social Change think tank.  She was also nominated for the Runsdorf Award by Dr. Anna Monhartova and Zachary Hebert for her work for the Payson Center for International Development's service-learning program.

Ann Davis has volunteered with the Hispanic Apostolate, the Goodwork Network, and the New Orleans Hurricane Fund.  Currently, she is the executive director of Swim 4 Success, Inc., a non-profit organization training local children how to swim.   Ann was also nominated for the Runsdorf Award by Stephanie Barksdale for her work with Swim 4 Success.  

Brianne Donohue has been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program.  She volunteered as a teaching assistant with Reading Enrichment and Development and with Tulane's Relay for Life.

Michelle Fauber has been involved with the CPS Service Learning Assistants program, the APO Service Fraternity, and Outreach Tulane.  She has also worked with Covenant House, Lutheran Social Service of the National Capitol Area, and the Social Justice Institute at Loyola University.

Michaela Gibboni has been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program, the Guardians of the Flame Institute, and Catholic Charities' Hispanic Apostolate.  In addition to tutoring at area schools, she has volunteered internationally with Fundacion Accion Joven in Costa Rica and Convento de Belen in Cuba.

Avantika Handa has been involved with the Community Action Council of Tulane University Students (CACTUS) and acted as the Florida Zone Board Member for the State Farm Youth Advisory Board.  She has interned with the New Orleans Health Department, the National Institute on Child Health and Human Development, and the Fair Housing Action Center of Greater New Orleans.

Cooper Haskins has been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program, the Tulane Community Service Scholars program, and CACTUS.  Currently, she acts as the Campus Campaign Coordinator for Teach for America.  She was nominated by Avery Brewton for the Runsdorf Award for her work with the Community Service Scholars program and her development of Project Raintree.

Courtney Hawkins has been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program, Outreach Tulane, and APO Service Fraternity.  She has volunteered with the Audubon Zoo, the Gulf Restoration Network, as a volunteer court observer for domestic violence cases, and has raised money to support US service members at Fort Hood.

Matthew Holmes has served as President of both Tulane Alternative Breaks and the Tulane chapter of Youth Rebuilding New Orleans.  He has been active with Outreach Tulane and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

Sarah Mandel has volunteered with Outreach Tulane, Project Greenlight, the St. Bernard Project, United Teachers for New Orleans, the Jefferson Federation of Teachers, and Lafayette Academy.  She was also nominated for the Runsdorf Award by Dr. Aaron Schneider for her work with the AFL-CIO Union Summer program and the Avondale Save Our Shipyard campaign.

Claire McCarthy has been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program, Swim 4 Success and Mission Honduras.  She has interned with the Historic New Orleans Collection and Catholic Charities, worked with Second Harvest Food Bank for Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, and tutored at Benjamin Banneker Elementary School.

Amber McKenna has served as the Director of Tulane's Relay for Life and on the CPS Student Advisory Board.  She has volunteered with For the Children, Outreach Tulane, the Catholic Center, and Students for Life.

Kyrsten Melander has been involved with the New Orleans Middle School Debate League, Model Organization of American States, and the CPS Student Advisory Board.  She has interned with the Stuart H. Smith Law Clinic and Center for Social Justice, the Center for Concern, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office.  She was also nominated for the Runsdorf Award by Ashley Chapman for her work with the CPS Service Learning Assistants program.

Lisa Midboe has interned with Touro Infirmary, Children's Hospital and the USDA Rural Development program. She has volunteered with Ochsner Medical Center, the LSU Interim Public Hospital's Stroke Center, Lusher Elementary School, and Audubon Zoo.

Sonya Parker has assisted with research on AIDS and HIV patients through the African & African Diaspora Studies program.  She has volunteered with Sojourner Truth Academy, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, and Court Watch.

William Schero has been involved with the Tulane Debate Society and the New Orleans Area Debate Tournament as the debate coach for Sophie B. Wright Charter School.    He is also a Social innovation Fellow with the Changemaker Institute and the Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching.

Nicole Schubert has been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program and the Chabad Student Center.  She is the founder of Love Books, an initiative to create reading rooms at the Literacy Charter School.  She was also nominated for the Runsdorf Award by Maurice Smith for her work on literacy issues in New Orleans.

Elizabeth Simons has assisted with research at the Autism Clinic at Children's Hospital, volunteered at John Dibert Elementary School and served as a CPS Public Service Fellow.  She has also served abroad in Kenya, teaching English and Math.

Sam Stephens was a Community Service Scholar and a CPS Public Service Fellow, co-founder of the Tulane Global Service League, a tutor with Roots of Music, and student leader with Outreach Tulane, the MLK Day of Service, and Student Advocacy for the Equitable Recovery (SAFER).  Currently, he is on the board of directors for Youth Rebuilding New Orleans and serves as an AmeriCorps member with the St. Bernard Project.

Samuel Tabory has been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program, the CPS Student Advisory Board, and the Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives Student Advisory Council.  Sam has worked as a tutor supervisor at Sophie B. Wright Charter School.  Currently, he is the Project Director for Amigos de Las Americas, tasked with leading community development projects in rural Ecuador.  He was also nominated for the Runsdorf Award by Dr. Carol Whelan for his work developing course materials for a social innovation internship platform course.

Frances Weil has volunteered with Public Defender Services for the District of Columbia, the Georgetown Law Canter Criminal Justice Clinic, Door of Hope of Los Angeles, LAANE Clean and Safe Ports Campaign, and the Urban and Environmental Institute.  She has also been involved with the CPS Public Service Fellows program and AmeriCorps' City Year.