Lincoln Foundation is pleased to announce Yaara Aleissa as the 2022 recipient of the Dr. Samuel Award of Excellence.

Yaara is a senior at duPont Manual High School in the Journalism and Communications magnet program. She has taken nine AP courses and four dual credit classes through the University of Louisville. Yaara has been involved in the Key Club, National Honor Society, Future Health Professionals (HOSA), and school publications Manual RedEye and On the Record Magazine. She has held leadership positions such as being President of HOSA and the Service Chair of Key Club. A big milestone in Yaara’s writing career was her feature article about Jefferson County Public Schools Newcome Academy, “Come as You Are.” The article was published in On the Record’s Magazine and eventually featured for Best of SNO (Best of Student Journalism).

Yaara is involved in her community through her participation in a student-run non-profit organization, STEM + Youth, which serves to break racial, social, and socio-economic barriers for students in STEM. In two years, she has moved up as the Outreach Program Head.

The Whitney M. YOUNG Scholars Program® has been an important addition to Yaara’s education. The program has motivated her to always push forward and achieve the highest level. The experiences have enabled Yaara to enhance her networking, writing, and public speaking skills.

After high school, Yaara plans to attend the University of Louisville where she is majoring in neuroscience and sociology with a minor in Spanish and Arabic. Yaara hopes to balance out her career goals with a personal goal to strengthen her ability to read, write, and speak in Arabic. Yaara plans to study Arabic and Spanish to help her fluently articulate and speak with patients who may require an interpreter.