Emanuel School student receives prestigious award

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Adam Riesel, a Year 12 student at Sydney’s Emanuel School is one of 25 students Australia-wide to receive the prestigious John Lincoln Youth Community Service Award for his outstanding community service and regular participation in events designed to provide much-needed resources, support or funds for research.

Adam Riesel

Adam has been an Emanuel student since Kindergarten and has been extensively involved in community service activities over many years, including travelling with his family to volunteer at an orphanage in Bali and initiating school fundraisers to raise money, collect clothes, shoes and educational books for the orphanage.

Adam has supported a number of Israeli and Australian charities including collections for the Neve Michael Children’s Centre in Israel, volunteering for the annual March of The Living Telethon and at the Easter Sunday food services project at the Exodus Foundation in Ashfield. He was a regular participant in The World’s Greatest Shave and supported numerous other charities, either with collections or by volunteering his time.

Andrew Watt, Principal, in his nomination for Adam observed that Adam is an engaged citizen whose consistent community mindfulness extends far beyond school boundaries and includes local, state, national and international action, embodying one of Emanuel School’s key principles of Tikkun Olam.

Adam was humbled by his nomination: “I feel extremely honoured to have been selected. Even more so, I feel privileged to have been given the opportunities to take part in the community service that I have. Receiving this award encourages me to keep challenging myself in a meaningful way and contribute to charitable causes whenever I am able to. Moving forward, I understand that it is not the award that will shape me, but rather the volunteering I have done that has shaped me as a person.”

As recognition of his outstanding achievement, Adam will attend a ceremony at NSW Government House in September 2019. Awards will be presented by the newly-appointed Governor of NSW, Justice Margaret Beazley.