Peisch selected for prestigious Bentley leadership program
/ |
| Sam Peisch. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz) |
Bromfield junior Sam Peisch has been selected as a winner in the International Bentley Tomorrow25 competition. The program, organized in cooperation with
Time magazine, was launched in 2005 to honor students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to positive change in their communities.
Business and community leaders across the world select high school juniors who have shown talents and accomplishments in economic, political, and social issues. The program works to identify future global leaders in the areas of new technologies, global culture or international affairs, the arts or sciences, and business.
Peisch was nominated by Bromfield economics teacher Steven Besold, who has annually nominated one junior for the prestigious program for the past several years. Peisch is the first Bromfield student to be selected.
“The candidate must possess a variety of attributes that will enable him or her to stand out among their peers.” said Besold. “Sam fulfills these requirements better than any student I know. I feel that he epitomizes what Bromfield should be about. He is deserving of recognition for the manner in which he represents his school, town, and family.”
Fifty finalists were chosen by the Bentley Tomorrow25 Committee and submitted to the International Advisory Board, which selected the final 25 winners in February. The winners will be honored at a leadership forum on the Bentley campus on March 27.
There, they will be recognized for their initiative, intelligence, citizenship, cultural awareness, and social responsibility. The group will also have the opportunity to engage in conversations with such professionals as Patty Stonesifer, CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Romesh Ratnesar, managing editor of Time magazine.
Though Peisch does not have far to travel to the event, he will be joined by students across the United States and from countries as distant as Jordan and Germany. All expenses are paid for the winners.
“I am really looking forward to talking to the other finalists,” says Peisch. “Meeting some of the most talented students in the world is truly a lifetime opportunity. In looking at some of the past years’ winners, some of the things the other students have accomplished already in high school are absolutely unbelievable.”
Like the other finalists, Peisch has already demonstrated his leadership skills and a desire for positive change within his own community, and has big plans to one day apply these abilities to a greater cause.
“Sam leads quietly by example,” said Besold. “He has traveled to Africa to help those less fortunate, is a bright and intelligent scholar, and demonstrates superb athletic skills. Sam has his priorities in the proper order and possesses a sense of individuality that I much admire.”
Peisch would like to study medicine and is interested in the development of new, more effective medical treatments for diseases such as HIV and cancer. He hopes to one day bridge that interest with community service and apply his leadership skills to help African communities.
“On a smaller scale, I just hope that I can continue to improve as a person,” said Peisch. “My one goal is to always lead by example and put the needs of others above my own.”
Peisch will be recognized in a future issue of Time magazine. The group of Tomorrow25 students will appear in a two-page feature with a photo of the contestants and a description of the program and finalists.