Daniel Sobajian, 2012 Seymour Award Finalist

As the Co-Founder and President for the past four years of Students Do, a non-profit organization based in Southern California, carrying the mission of students helping other students in need, Daniel has helped raise over $25,00.00 for students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. As the Class President of his high school's CSF Chapter during 9th and 10th grade as well as the treasurer for his 11th grade year, it is obvious that Daniel leads by example. He has served four years for all of the following: as an intern for Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, as Vice President of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villariagosa’s Youth Council, and a District Youth Representative. Daniel is also currently the Vice President of Model Congress.

For his efforts, he has been awarded the Los Angeles City Certificate of Appreciation, the County of Los Angeles Commendation, a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition and has been formally recognized by both Senator Diane Feinstein and Senator Barbara Boxer. Daniel has earned the prestigious Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award, for Repairing the World as a young Jewish philanthropist, and has been recognized by the Jewish Community Federation. He has been honored for his outstanding community work with both the Boys and Girls Club and the Westside Children's Center and was selected as the HOBY Award Representative.

Bill Rosendahl, Councilmember for the 11th District for the City of Los Angeles, when speaking of Daniel's Students Do organization writes that, His accomplishments are impressive, as the group is 100 percent youth run. He adds, Daniel completes the job surrounding himself with a group of ambitious student leaders. Nothing better exemplifies the results than when in Daniel's personal statement he writes about a memory of seeing two giggling preschoolers skipping behind their mom on the way to the Westside Children's Center wearing their brand new Dora the Explorer backpacks. The same backpacks that last month were piled up in a corner of my dining room. Daniel plans to major in Political Science at Columbia University.