Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Urges Students to Use their Voices to Make a Difference at Global Citizenship Day

Nicole Deluca, Zuriel Oduwole and Jessica Puldorf“True wisdom requires both thinking with our head and understanding with our heart.” These insightful words from the late Jane Goodall, could easily describe the inspiration behind Scarsdale High School’s 12th annual Global Citizenship Day which was held on Friday, October 11th.

Thanks in large part to the hard work of the 2025 Global Citizenship Committee, chaired by teachers Jessica Pulford and Nicole Deluca, the day of immersive learning was host to over forty different workshops and presentations. With the goal of the day to educate students about issues that they, as citizens and future leaders of the world, need to know in order to inspire change, students were invited to learn from a variety of powerful speakers such as keynote speaker (and Nobel Peace Prize nominee) Zuriel Oduwole.

As described in her introduction, Zuriel Oduwole began her advocacy at age 10 and has met with over 30 world leaders to promote education and fight child marriage, influencing policy changes, including Mozambique’s 2019 ban on girl marriage. She has spoken to 52,000 youths across 19 countries. For all of this amazing work, Oduwole was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2025.Students with SMS teacher Frankie Hugh’s who spoke about Project Children.

For Global Citizenship Day, instead of current world leaders Oduwole sought to inspire future generations at SHS. She encouraged students to think beyond borders by practicing kindness, pursuing excellence, and using their voices to make a difference. Oduwole described kindness as a simple but powerful “superpower,” urging everyone to seek daily opportunities for small, meaningful acts. Sharing her father’s lesson that “excellence transcends,” she also illustrated how mastering one’s craft leads others to take notice, citing both the film Hidden Figures and her own global advocacy work. Finally, she reminded students that everyone has a voice—even without a platform—and that using it purposefully is their greatest gift to the world.

In another moving presentation, Grace Jo from the Dissident Project https://www.dissidentproject.org/grace , shared her harrowing story of escaping North Korea as a refugee and ultimately becoming a U.S. citizen. Jo described how being born in North Korea, she “endured extreme starvation and the loss of family members to hunger, torture, and human trafficking. She and her family were repeatedly repatriated from China, suffering imprisonment and abuse.” The presentation went on to explain that “in 2006, with help from Pastor Philip Buck, Grace and two family members escaped, and in 2008 the UNHCR resettled them in the United States. She became a U.S. citizen in 2013 and now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Grace has since advocated against forced repatriation of North Korean escapees and served as vice president of NKinUSA, aiding refugees with rescue, resettlement, and emergency support.

Students from Israeli Culture Club with presenter Adele.In a powerful session arranged by the Israeli Culture Club, students had the opportunity to hear first hand the incredible story of one woman's survival during the attacks on Israel on October 7th 2023. Joining her audience via Zoom, Raemer explained that since 1975, she has lived on Kibbutz Nirim, less than a mile from the Gaza border. A lifelong educator with Israel’s Ministry of Education, she’s led cross-cultural exchange programs between Israeli and Gazan children. She’s also a medical clown, using humor as therapy for children, and the founder of the Facebook community Life on the Border with Gaza, which now has over 13,000 followers. Her writing for The Times of Israel and media appearances have made her an international voice for peace and resilience.

After an emotional retelling of her experience surviving the October 7th attacks, Raemer ended by thanking the students for listening and encouraging them to learn, stay engaged, and stand up against hate. Her story of survival and courage embodies the spirit of global citizenship and resilience in the face of tragedy.

In a session that feels incredibly poignant and timely, SHS seniors Ollie Kaiden and Dylan Lemberg, gave an inspiring presentation about Ollie Kaiden and Dylan Lemberg.the organization they’ve founded, “New York Student Engaged Citizenship (NYSEC ---- ny-sec.org). The duo explained, “The purpose of the organization is to improve media literacy, responsible civic discourse, and overall civic engagement among students.” In their session, Kaiden and Lemberg aimed to “promote understanding of civil discourse, citizenship knowledge, and First Amendment rights through interactive activities and discussions. Participants in the workshop engaged in scenarios that foster respectful dialogue on controversial issues, emphasizing the importance of active listening and critical thinking. The session concluded with actionable steps for promoting civic engagement and civil conversations within the school community.”

Samantha and Natalie Goldban, co-presidents of SHS’s Innocence Club, helped to organize a presentation with Fernando Bermudez from The Innocence Project (Ihttps://innocenceproject.org/all-cases/). Bermudez shared his heartbreaking yet inspiring story of being wrongfully incarcerated. In 2009, he had his conviction overturned after The Innocence Projectspending 18 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. He described how in 1991, he became a suspect in the murder of a teenager outside of a nightclub in New York City after an eyewitness picked him out in a police photo lineup. Despite four alibi witnesses and no physical or forensic evidence linking him to the crime, he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 23 years to life in prison. The following year, all witnesses recanted their testimony. It was not until 2009 that a judge overturned Mr. Bermudez’s conviction on “actual innocence” grounds based on police and prosecutorial misconduct. Now a passionate advocate for criminal legal reform, Mr. Bermudez shares his experience and inspiring words with audiences around the world.

Project Green Club: Stacey Liew, Theo Kertesz, Raphael Sutiono, Jonathan Shawn, Leticia (Lele) Miranda, and Elliot Chang.

Students from Project Green gave an engaging presentation on environmental awareness and protection. Using an interactive video game, the presenters shared Project Green’s mission of cleaning and protecting the environment (especially Scarsdale High School's), whether through cleanups at the brook and the Bronx River Pathway or implementing alternatives to plastic items. The Project Green Club is also involved with the SHS Sustainability Committee and hopes to establish our Compostable Cup Initiative in addition to other impactful projects.Project Green Club: Stacey Liew, Theo Kertesz, Raphael Sutiono, Jonathan Shawn, Leticia (Lele) Miranda, and Elliot Chang.

Taylor Thigpen, a senior at Notre Dame University, joined current SHS students to moderate a meaningful discussion with students from the Ukraine. While the Ukrainian students met with their SHS audience via Zoom, their messages were clearly heard. One Ukrainian student shared “We are the same as other teenagers all around the world. We have the same dreams, listen to the same music, play the same video games…but our lives have been drastically altered.” Another student related, “Life is not guaranteed, if you want to do something…do it now.”

The opportunity to learn from others and to gain knowledge and perspectives that might not happen within a typical high school classroom, wasn’t limited to these few profound highlights. Other sessions included a constructive discussion with Superintendent Dr. Drew Patrick, who after a brief explanation of how a bond works, engaged students in dialogue and sought their feedback as important stakeholders; A presentation from Scarsdale Middle School English teacher Frankie Hughes, who talked about his participation in the Project Children which worked to to bring children from the North of Ireland to live with American host families for a six week summer respite from the everyday violence and strife of The Troubles; a fun Zumba session described as a high-energy workout inspired by Latin American and global dance styles where students and their teachers used movement to boost wellness while also connecting to traditions and people around the world (an upbeat way to practice global citizenship), and so much more.

ZumbaThe inspiring day of empowerment and learning was once again capped off with an amazing international luncheon coordinated by Wennui Guo. The luncheon saw over thirteen international clubs serve cuisine from their respective countries. Students from each club were responsible for every aspect of the successful event from setting up, selling tickets, serving food, and helping to clean up.

"The most important hope Jessica and I have for the day is that the students leave Global Citizenship Day feeling both inspired and empowered. We would like them to gain a deeper awareness of global perspectives and to develop a stronger sense of responsibility for how their actions can make a difference. We hope the experience fosters empathy, curiosity, and awareness, but most importantly, the motivation and confidence to act on what they’ve learned." -Nicole DeLuca co-chair of the 2025 Global Citizenship Day.

To learn more about Global Citizenship Day at SHS see here. 

Internation Lunch