Hampden-Sydney Student Named to CEP Board of Directors

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John Wirges, junior at Hampden-Sydney College, appointed to CEP Board of Directors

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, VA (05/28/2013)(readMedia)-- John Edward Wirges, a rising junior at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, is one of two college student/leaders who have been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Character Education Partnership (CEP), a national nonprofit based in Washington, DC. CEP works with schools across the nation to develop strategies that reinforce academic excellence and foster respect, responsibility, honesty, diligence, service, and citizenship.

"The Board felt that adding the youth voice would add depth and understanding of current cultural trends nationally," said Mark Hyatt, President and CEO. Wirges will serve a two-year term. The other student appointed is a sophomore at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Wirges, who is majoring in Foreign Affairs concentrating in Sub-Saharan Africa, and minoring in both Military Leadership and National Security and Rhetoric, is a recipient of the Madison Honors Scholarship and two Project "Global Officers" scholarships for the study of the Kiswahili language.

He is engaged in many leadership organizations on his campus, including the Society of 1791 leadership development program and Hampden-Sydney's Wilson Center for Leadership in the Public Interest. He was recently chosen General Manager of the Student Radio Station, WWHS, and also serves as a Freshman Peer Advisor. An Eagle Scout and a Cadet with the US Army ROTC Program on campus, he plans on commissioning into the United States Army after graduation.

"The minute I met John Wirges, I knew why President Chris Howard nominated him to the CEP board," Hyatt said. "He is bright, has a heart for service-oriented leadership and is a 'walking-talking role model' for character in all aspects of his college and personal life. His leadership on and off campus makes him a perfect choice to for CEP's board."

Wirges' first board meeting will be June 27th in Washington, DC.

A private college for men, Hampden-Sydney is ranked in the top tier of liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report. The College is known for its liberal arts curriculum, the Honor Code which stresses individual and collective responsibility, and a focus on the education of young men.