The 20 Under 20 is an initiative that honors 20 highly active members in Junior World Affairs Council (JWAC) under the age of 20. Campus JWAC sponsor Tim Johannes selected two students, both of which met the criteria set forth by the World Affairs Council.

“It’s a pretty big honor for the kids,’ Johannes said. “They’ve worked hard all year. They weren’t anticipating winning the award. They applied and it was a good event and I’m really proud of them.”

Junior Christopher Yu is one of the two selected for the 20 Under 20 program.

“We had to apply by submitting a resume and application to the World Affairs Council board,” Yu said. “Out of the dozen JWAC clubs which are a part of the JWAC, they choose 20 applicants out of those to receive this award.”

Scholarship winner Kanika Kappalayil feels as though winning the award shows her involvement in bettering the community and the world.

“Winning this award is very rewarding,” Kappalayil said. “It’s nice to know that your work is helping the world in the right direction and that others support its significance, but overall, as with anything, my involvement in my community and the world comes from a place of genuine optimism and idealism. I like being able to make a positive impact somehow and somewhere, and that’s the actual reward for me.”