UM Student Competes in MTV Essay Contest

A Maryland student's commitment to public service is front and center in an MTV contest and the campus community can lend a hand to help him take home the prize—a $5,000 scholarship.

Josh Goldstein, a senior government and politics major who has long been dedicated to public and community service, is one of ten finalists in an MTV "Choose or Lose essay contest that asked students to write about the importance of public service.

The winner will be chosen this week by visitors who log onto the website at this url: http://www.mtv.com/chooseorlose/voting to view the essays and vote for their favorite.

The "Choose or Lose" site provides an array of information to encourage young people to become involved in the political process.

Josh, a resident of Rockville, said his essay (#7) describes his goal of working to "help students realize that we need to find innovative ways to face problems that are unique to our generation."

While at Maryland, Josh has been extensively involved in coordinating Interdependence Day, a celebration of global citizenship.

He has also worked with the Office of Community Service Programs to create ways for community service to become more a part of the campus experience.

Beyond campus, Josh helps run a small international development non-profit organization, Project Namuwongo, that provides relief services and sustainable development programs to an impoverished region of Uganda.