SESP sophomore Meixi Ng is one of 16 students nationwide chosen for the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program. This highly competitive program provides leadership development to academically excellent students who demonstrate outstanding leadership potential.The Global Leaders program, administered by the Institute for International Education, allows 27 select universities in the United States, including Northwestern, to nominate students for the 16 awards. Internationally, 150 students are award recipients. Ng, who is a learning and organizational change major, will attend an award ceremony in New York City this spring to receive her $3,000 award.
"Meixi is a student of diverse interests and dynamic personality. She is very engaged in both her academics and co-curricular involvement, from her involvement in raising awareness about human trafficking in Southeast Asia to her pursuit of research projects in SESP. She is a very balanced and accomplished student. I'm pleased that she was selected, as I think she epitomizes the qualities of a global leader," says Susan Olson, SESP's assistant dean of student affairs.
A campus leader, Ng has co-founded several organizations at Northwestern, including the Northwestern Engagement Coalition, the International Students Association and the Northwestern World Cup, which she also directed. Other campus activities she pursues are the Undergraduate Budget Priorities Committee, the Global Engagement Summit, a dance group and other engagement groups.
In the wider community, Ng co-founded The Amber Initiative, a youth-led organization dedicated to fight human trafficking around the world. "We're doing a lot of advocacy work, fundraising and youth empowerment, starting to get youth engaged in these kinds of international issues, especially those that are so close to my home, Singapore," says Ng. "I've also been working in Chiang Rai, Thailand, for the past six years with a youth hostel that we built to provide secondary education to some of the Lahu hill tribe youth."
"SESP has played such a big part in shaping and nurturing my passion for this kind of work. I've learned so much from outstanding professors, like asset-based community development, and have so much respect for our school. I've taken so much from Northwestern and am glad I can represent them in this way!" Ng emphasizes.
When Ng researched Global Leaders, she says, "It sounded like an incredible program and network that I could be a part of, and would further the work that I really wanted to dedicate my life to — tackling issues of human rights." She was especially impressed that the program has funded community schools and HIV projects in Thailand. "I was so ecstatic when they called to tell me the news! I just feel incredibly blessed to be able to meet other amazing leaders in the world through this network at Goldman Sachs."
Last Modified: 11/19/09