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George Srour
$40,000 Fellowship Recipient
College of William and Mary

Two classic American values—faith and free enterprise—have guided 2005 William E. Simon Fellowship winner George Srour as he pursued his "noble purpose" of helping terminally ill children in a place far from our nation's shores-in the city of Kampala at the banks of Lake Victoria in Central Africa.

"George exhibits incredible self-discipline and persistence," says W. Samuel Sadler, a vice president at the College of William and Mary, where George will graduate this spring. He "knows himself well, has a deep empathy for the needs of others, and is a constant force for good."

George demonstrated these virtues early in life as a volunteer for the Special Olympics in his native Indianapolis. He first heard his call to help needy children in Africa during a church service one Sunday morning when a fellow parishioner spoke briefly on his congregation's involvement with the World Food Programme. After much thought and prayer, George decided to pursue an internship in Kampala through the Programme. His congregation supported the effort, and helped George raise funds to pay his travel expenses.

George's internship took him to an orphanage for children infected with the HIV virus. Despite the recent publicity surrounding the AIDS crisis in Africa—including a commitment by President Bush in his 2003 State of the Union Address to provide $15 billion in taxpayer funds to alleviate the disease—George found its ravages overwhelming.

Upon returning to the United States, George pursued a private-sector solution to the problem. Setting out to raise $8,000 to replace a bamboo-and-timber school building for the children with a permanent concrete structure, he exceeded his fundraising goal by more than five-fold, making possible the purchase of new uniforms, books, school supplies, and even a Christmas dinner for nearly 1,000 orphans and school faculty. George now plans to expand these efforts by using his Simon Fellowship to launch a non-profit organization in the United States that will enable college students to become active in solving the crisis in Kampala and around the world.

George "has an incredibly creative, yet practical, imagination" says Lisa Grimes, Director for National Scholarships at William and Mary. His mindset "constantly prods him to look at challenges in every sphere of life, to come with inspired yet obtainable solutions, and then to lead the way in meeting those challenges."

Scott Erwin
$5,000 Fellowship Recipient
University of Richmond

In 2003, University of Richmond senior Scott Erwin established the Ambassadors of Democracy (AOD) to teach rule of law and democracy to Iraqi students. In June of that year, while returning from teaching at a university in Baghdad, the car in which Scott was riding was ambushed. Two of his Iraqi friends were killed in the attack, and he sustained serious wounds. After recuperating from his injuries, Scott returned to the United States to finish his degree at Richmond. Currently, he works in New York City as an advisor to Mr. Samir Sumaidaie, the Iraqi Ambassador to the United Nations. Scott hopes to use his fellowship to travel to Cairo, Egypt, to learn the Arabic language and implement AOD in a key Arab country. He will attend the Arabic Language Institute at the American University in Cairo. In addition, he hopes to work with other university students to establish a civic education program with a similar mandate to that of the AOD. Dr. William Cooper, President of the University of Richmond, hails Scott saying, "His professors call him brilliant, with a fine mind that grasps the nuances of political theory in its classical and contemporary forms. His classmates describe him as a humble and highly respectful peer in seminars, group work, and discussions." Dr. Akiba Covitz, attorney and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Richmond, commends Scott's commitment, pointing out "his brush with death and his service to his country under fire when his colleagues were enjoying their senior year, has now made him a complete leader. He has a clear sense of how to bring about the changes he wants to see implemented in American public policy. He knows the pitfalls, how to avoid them, and even how to turn them to his advantage."

Margaret Mosher
$5,000 Fellowship Recipient
Franciscan University of Steubenville

At age 6, Margaret "Maggie" Mosher spent a day working on a Navajo Reservation with Mother Teresa in Chiciltah, New Mexico. Maggie recounts that even in the short time she and Mother Teresa were together, she was taught "the value of simple acts of love and the importance of each human life." At this young age, Maggie realized her calling to live a life of purpose. While attending a Catholic school which had few resources to help students with learning disabilities, Maggie began researching dyslexia, developing visual aids that control visual stimulation in certain areas of the brain and assisting in increasing the reading abilities of dyslexic students. Her project won first place in the local, regional, and state science fairs in New Mexico and second place at the International Science and Engineering Fair. Maggie also spent a semester studying in Gaming, Austria, where she was asked by members of the Austria Dyslexia Association to return to the country to give lectures on her research. For her work, she was named Wendy's High School Heisman National Award winner and in 2002 one of Teen People's "Top Twenty Teens Who Will Change the World." Maggie will use her fellowship to pursue graduate study in the field of early childhood disabilities. This will provide her with the training necessary to create an Infant Development Center that provides assistance and early intervention to the children at the Chiciltah Reservation. Diane Keenan, Education Department Chair at Franciscan University of Steubenville, affirms that Maggie constantly sacrifices her own personal time for the benefit of others and exhibits continuous dedication to others.

ISI also recognizes three extraordinary applicants. Receiving honorable mentions are: Steven Harsono of Wheaton College of Illinois, Elicia Huffaker of Loyola University, and Wordna Warren of Harvard University.

What is the William E. Simon Fellowship for Noble Purpose?