Adam Sella

Cincinnati, OH | 18

2018 Award Recipient

Adam Sella was raised in a family that stressed the importance of studying languages to achieve tikkun olam and bridge the gap between Arabs and Jews. He has spent nearly a year in Morocco studying Arabic on U.S. State Department scholarships and volunteered for three weeks in Ulm, Germany to assist in the resettlement of unaccompanied minor refugees. As the president and founder of his high school’s chapter of Students Together Assisting Refugees, Adam organizes fundraisers, assemblies, and benefit concerts while establishing a tutoring program for refugees at a local elementary school. Under Adam’s stewardship, his high school’s STAR chapter has raised over $26,000 from donation drives, collected over 750 household items, distributed among 266 refugee families, and helped nine resettled refugees receive up to $4,000 for college. Currently, the organization has 16 chapters across the country. Adam has published articles about his work in Imagine Magazine and was recognized as a 2017 Ohio State Prudential Spirit of Community Award Honoree.