Sejal Hathi of Fremont, CA., has been named a University of Phoenix Volunteer Leader Award Honoree, an award given by HandsOn Network and the University of Phoenix to 10 outstanding volunteer leaders in the nation. These leaders motivate others and are catalysts for change in their communities.

The award celebrates the first anniversary of the landmark Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which authorized the largest expansion of national service in America in decades. Hathi will receive $10,000 to donate to the nonprofit organization of her choice.

Sejal Hathi is on a mission to empower girls and create a network of young change makers.

When she was just 15, Hathi founded Girls Helping Girls (GHG). The international nonprofit organization partners girls in the United States with girls in developing countries. Together, they identify problems in their communities, and develop innovative programs to create substantive social change. GHG channels the power from these collaborative service projects towards addressing poverty, increasing access to education, improving health, and promoting peace.

Today, GHG volunteers, all girls aged 19 and younger, have trained over 30,000 girls to launch their own social-change projects. GHG provides them with a one-on-one mentorship, a support network, and the tools and resources needed to start their own organizations. GHG volunteers have also raised nearly $40,000 to provide basic necessities, educational opportunities and social-change workshops to thousands of impoverished girls around the world.

Hathi believes that every girl "has something deep, tangible, and worthwhile to offer. We can demonstrate this power and ability to even the most destitute by educating them about their condition, by making them aware of their potential, by showing the example of others, and by giving them the training and tools to redefine their destiny."

About University of Phoenix
University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help students balance education and life in a rapidly changing world. Through flexible schedules, challenging courses and interactive learning, students achieve personal and career aspirations without putting their lives on hold. As of February 28, 2010, 458,600 students were enrolled at University of Phoenix, the largest private university in North America. University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit www.phoenix.edu.

About HandsOn Network
HandsOn Network, the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute, is the largest volunteer network in the nation and includes more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers in 16 countries. HandsOn includes a powerful network of more than 70,000 corporate, faith and nonprofit organizations that are answering the call to serve and creating meaningful change in their communities. Annually, the network delivers approximately 30 million hours of volunteer service valued at about $600 million. For more information, please visit www.HandsOnNetwork.org.

Points of Light

Points of Light

Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year, contributing $498.7 million of value in people power into communities around the world. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. To learn more about Points of Light visit pointsoflight.org. 

Partnering with Points of Light means you’ll have the expertise and support you need to mobilize your colleagues and create community impact using all aspects of civic engagement. We've helped companies with a variety of needs including implementing large-scale employee volunteer events, tackling your larger social impact vision, expanding how you engage communities and consumers, infusing new ideas to your annual employee engagement programs, connecting with peers to bring the latest and greatest ideas on impact measurement, and getting company leadership investment and buy-in. Learn more today.

More from Points of Light