We are proud to honor a group of students from Emerson and Lincoln Middle School with the Judith L. Snow Ethical Leadership Award. This recognition is made possible through the invaluable partnership with the middle school PTOs, who help us annually celebrate four students who demonstrate ethical leadership.
The Judith L. Snow Ethical Leadership Award sets a high standard for stewardship. All D64 8th-grade students are eligible for this prestigious award. Their applications must include a compelling essay and strong recommendations from both a teacher and a prominent community member.
This year, we are proud to recognize Vasiliki Kantar and Maida Usman from Emerson Middle School and Cassandra Jewell and Jagoda Samborska from Lincoln Middle School. A total of 48 students applied for the award.
Ethical leadership is defined as knowing your core values and having the courage to live by them in all parts of your life in service to the common good. It aligns your internal beliefs and values with your external behaviors and values for the purpose of advancing the common good. Ethical leaders are principled and lead with integrity, selflessness, dependability, caring, and fairness.
Kantar described what it meant to be an ethical leader. Sharing that “a leader doesn’t just lead a group, they encourage others to follow in their footsteps and do good. They serve their communities and help the people who cannot help themselves."
For Usman, she strives “ to create an environment where everyone feels respected and empowered.” She embodies the award by her “unwavering integrity, empathy, and commitment to helping others.”
Making ethical decisions can be challenging, but Jewell highlighted the profound impact. She said, “Mentoring and developing future leaders will have a lasting effect on those leaders and the ripples that their actions create, making a significant change in our world.”
Samborska stressed the importance of being the role model she wished for when she was younger. An ethical leader is a “person who positively influences people and teaches them to be respectful, caring, kind, selfless, and a role model like them.”