Representative named Service Hero by youth-focused nonprofit
Tewksbury Rep. Vanna Howard was honored as a Project 351 Service Hero last weekend at their Launch Day at JFK Presidential Library. Annually, Project 351 recognizes Service Heroes as inspirational change agents, history makers, and bridge builders. Past Service Heroes include global icons like Nelson Mandela as well as American icons like Congressman John Lewis and Dolores Huerta.
Photo credit: Mike Casey
Below is the Service Hero description from the Launch Day:
“To see America through the eyes of Representative Vanna Howard is to witness with a nine-year old’s wide-eyed wonder, a place of safety and refuge. A young adult’s gratitude for the chance to persevere and triumph. And, a devoted public servant’s resolve to ensure that her path of opportunity is available to all.
Representative Howard’s journey is both extraordinary and tragic — and a beacon of hope. At age nine, she fled the Killing Fields of Cambodia with her mother after the devastating loss of her father, young siblings, and grandparents. Massachusetts became their safe haven, a place for Rep. Howard to nurture her knowledge, build community, and contribute mightily through a lifetime of service. As the first Khmer woman elected to the Massachusetts legislature and a political refugee, Rep. Howard’s voice is distinct in its power, perspective, and purpose. She reflects upon the challenges we face and the opportunities before us, ‘I went through wars, I went through the killing field. I lost many of my family. If I could go through that and survive, this…is nothing. I’m learning to use my voice to speak up and speak out.’”
Project 351 is a youth service nonprofit organization that develops a rising generation of “community-first” leaders. Selected by hometown educators, one eighth grader from each of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts — including Tewksbury — signs on for a transformative year of service and leadership. They join a warm, welcoming community built on the belief that service is joy and that world-changing impact is possible. They offer their unique gifts, force of idealism, and dedication to a cause greater than self. From 351 cities and towns, they become one community, one team, one force for extraordinary good. Founded by Governor Deval Patrick in 2011, Project 351 fosters unity and strengthens the ethic of service through engagement and enrichment.
Tewksbury PR Partner
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