CC, BC Students Win Global Leader Awards

Rachel Abileah, BC '04, and Esti Tambay, CC '04, were recently named Global Leaders, but for both young activists their leadership begins at the level of the community.

On April 25, Abileah and Tambay became two of only 16 United States students to receive the Goldman Sachs Global Leader award at a ceremony at the world headquarters for the Institute of International Education. The award, which includes a $2,000 prize, recognizes outstanding work in social justice.

Indeed, both recipients are concerned with social justice in a variety of settings.

Abileah has worked as an advocate in Israel, has fought for land-resources programming in El Salvador, and has spoken out against domestic violence here in the United States. At Columbia, she recently founded a group called Students Against Silence, which addresses the issue of suicide and depression on campus.

"[Abileah] has demonstrated strong leadership in helping find ways that students can support each other and in helping others become more educated about suicide and its effects throughout the University community," Barnard Dean Dorothy Denburg said.

Abileah said she grew up in a difficult family situation, an experience that spurred her passion for social justice. "I emerged out of a difficult childhood as a resilient person and began to work a lot on domestic violence issues in high school. ... This led to my involvement in different human rights projects," Abileah said.

Abileah, who is majoring in environmental science and human rights and plans to attend medical school, credited her work at Biosphere 2 last semester for helping her become involved in international issues.

Tambay, who is Swiss-born and bilingual, has worked to organize World AIDS Day at her high school, launched and edited a literary magazine, and worked in community service with children. "She is always thoughtful, extremely intelligent, and able to combine perspectives from varying points of view," Paula Hodges, Tambay's high school principal, said.

A political science major pursuing a philosophy concentration, Tambay is interested in human rights. She hopes to work at a non-governmental international institution such as the United Nations or the International Criminal Court after graduation.

Tambay, who has lived in Hawaii since her teenage years, said that being exposed to other cultures made her "want to do more with the world in general." She said that she saw her experience with diversity as a "stimulus for growth rather than a stimulus for conflict."

Those who know Abileah and Tambay praised their dedication and optimism.

"I can't even begin to do her justice," said Dina Marx, BC '04, who became friends with Abileah at Biosphere 2. "I have never seen her sit down. ... She is always calling, e-mailing, meeting with people--and that's an understatement." Marx added that Abileah still finds time to spend with friends despite her various commitments.

Barnard Dean Vivian Taylor called Abileah a "bright, articulate, and imaginatively creative person with a wonderful activist spirit." Taylor added, "she cares very deeply about our community ... She knows how important it is that we show compassion and support each other through the good times and through the not-so-good times of life."

Ann Gonkin, CC '05 and a friend of Tambay, expressed similar sentiments. "The thing about Esti is that she's really motivated and it comes off in everything that she does. ... Even if she's doing work, she's just really motivated to help people," Gonkin said. "She's the nicest person in the world. ... She works harder than everyone I know and deserves everything that comes her way."

The Institute of International Education launched the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program last year. Abileah and Tambay will now go on to compete against 42 students internationally and eight United States students to participate in the Goldman Sachs Global Leadership Institute beginning in New York City in July 2002. Upon completion of the summer program, the students "will be awarded top honors, including an additional $3000 award," Gardner added.

At the award ceremony, which was held in New York last weekend, United States and Canadian students were addressed by Kishore Mushambi, a United Nations ambassador and Singapore's former foreign minister, and Dr. Alic Ilchman, president of the Watson Fellowship Program, former chair of the Rockefeller Foundation, and former president of Sarah Lawrence College.

"It was amazing," Abileah said. "I was really impressed that everyone who won this award was really friendly ... they were all really down to earth people."

Tambay agreed. "Just going there and meeting all these kids was really a bonding experience," she said. "All of them have really big hearts and really care about what they are doing. This kind of compassion ... is important in order to reach out to other people."