Extraordinary leaders: the office of student life presents the extraordinary leader award to outstanding students each month. The entire HPU community--students, faculty and staff, make nominations, and the nominees are asked to complete a survey about their academic, social and charitable involvement on campus and in the community. A committee of HPU administrators selects the students who embody true leadership.

• Position: Inspiring ENVIRONMENT

Alexa Crawford

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August

Alexa Crawford has overcome numerous battles in her life that young people rarely face. Today, she is using those experiences to make a positive impact on the world around her.

Crawford was born with a cleft lip which was corrected through surgery when she was a child. Growing up, she became aware that the families of many children around the world could not afford the same surgery she had, so she established a chapter of Operation Smile on campus. Operation Smile is a nonprofit that creates smiles across the globe by providing free cleft lip and palate procedures to children in third world countries. The club has raised enough money to correct nearly a dozen smiles.

Perhaps her greatest battle came when she was in high school. It was then that she was diagnosed with and overcame cancer. Thanks to her entrepreneurship classes and professors at HPU, she has now launched an online community at www.theeverafterlady.com where women who are battling cancer can share their stories and find support.

Crawford's mission is to be a confident young woman who inspires other women to live lives of poise and self-assurance. In addition to her work in the Entrepreneurship Club, she is also an ambassador on campus.

"Now in remission, I desire to be confident in the person God made me to be," she says. "And, be a platform of confidence and leadership. Possibly other women will be motivated and inspired."

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Shawn Sloan

September

Shawn Sloan has pushed himself both academically and physically, in the classroom and on the soccer field. His efforts paid off when he signed a contract this spring with The Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer to begin his career as a professional athlete.

Sloan has received the Big South All-Conference Scholars and has earned a 4.0 GPA every semester. He is a Presidential Scholar and Mills Scholar Athlete, Who's Who Among Students in American Universities, was chief junior marshal, and won the Big South Men's Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year and ESPN Academic All-American.

These accomplishments came from a dedication to succeed, something he knew he would be able to do at HPU and the reason he committed to the school.

"I've had the opportunity to do undergraduate research with brilliant professors at HPU that I would not get anywhere else," he says. "Faculty genuinely care about your progress as a student. You are not just another seat in the classroom; you are a...