Daily Points of Light honoree Veronica Osorio

On Friday, February 18, 2004, Newark native, Veronica Osorio, a youth leader with the All Stars Project New Jersey, the Newark-based All Stars program, received the Daily Points of Light Award, one of the country’s highest volunteer honors. The Points of Light Foundation was created by former President George H.W. Bush to en-courage volunteerism around the nation. (See the Star Ledger story on Veronica from March 8, 2005).

Veronica, a junior at Montclair State College majoring in political science, met and became active with the All Stars as a young teenager. Currently, she is traveling through Asia as part of the “Semester as Sea” study abroad program. When back on land, Veronica devotes a generous amount of her spare time to building the All Stars and helping other young people from Newark have the same chance to grow that she did.

After graduating from the Development School for Youth, (the All Stars’ leadership training and career education program for young people aged 16-21), Veronica be-came an active volunteer working with All Stars Director Gloria Strickland to support the many aspects of All Stars work in Newark — as a youth host at special events; as a volunteer with the All Stars Talent Show Network youth anti-violence program and helping to establish the All Stars’ Phat Friend Awards. The Phat Friend Awards are pre-sented annually by All Stars youth to their community heroes — adults — who dem-onstrate their support for kids and youth concerns. Over many months, young people taking part in All Stars youth events nominate deserving adults. The outreach and nomination work is managed by the Phat Friend Awards Committee, which, under Ve-ronica’s leadership, has developed into an effective inner-city youth management team who organize a city-wide campaign in which young people nominate, interview and select adults — from church leaders, teachers, beat cops, social service program workers, etc. Many young people relate to the Phat process as both a great honor and a character-building experience — to salute the unsung adult heroes in their lives. It is the only such award in Newark given to adults by young people.

Veronica's strength and drive have empowered many inner-city youth to evaluate what is genuinely important to them. Her activist example has inspired many young people to develop strong values and acquire focus.

Veronica's energy, sense of purpose, and generosity has led her to additional volun-teer opportunities both within and outside of the All Stars Project. She has helped to organize the National Hip Hop Political Convention and served as an advocate for the Essex County Rape Crisis Call Center.

As for her own future, Veronica hopes to attend George Washington University and work toward a master's degree in urban development. She also plans at some point to join the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps. Wherever her path may take her, Veronica will always seek out ways in which she can serve her community by creating a safe haven in which children, teenagers, and adults alike can learn from each other and grow.

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