Eighth-Grader a Finalist in Wallenberg Honors Program

The following comes from the Jefferson Township School District:

Luke Langner was honored as a finalist in the Seventeenth Annual Wallenberg Honors Program at a reception held at the Parsippany Hills High School Auditorium on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.  The Wallenberg Honors Program was developed to honor the memory of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat in Hungary during World War II, whose heroic efforts saved the lives of 100,000 Jews who would have perished in concentration camps.

The program is designed to recognize students from across northern and central New Jersey “who act with courage and compassion in their service to others, in the performance of an act of heroism or bravery, or in promoting understanding, acceptance, tolerance, and peace in their school or community.”  Luke was nominated from JTMS because of his involvement in Project Stay Gold, an awareness campaign in the middle school that strives to address the crime of human trafficking that is occurring in our world today.  With determination and perseverance Luke has become a leader in this campaign; writing letters to government officials petitioning them to fight for stricter laws against human trafficking, developing an online petition against companies who are using child labor to make their products, as well as writing and creating awareness videos to educate his peers on the horrors of the crime of modern day slavery.  On January 11, 2012 Luke delivered a speech at the State House in Trenton before the State’s Attorney General. 

Luke’s perseverance in his efforts to this cause, his courage to challenge the status quo, and his compassion for the victims of modern day human trafficking make him an ideal candidate for this honor.

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