Reueline Arulanandam Selected as the 2024 Recipient of the Richard E. Herman Leadership Award
Itasca, Ill. – We Raise Foundation is pleased to announce that Reueline Arulanandam has been selected as the 2024 Richard E. Herman Leadership Award honoree. The Leadership Award recognizes the commitment and service of one leader interrupting the cycles of poverty, violence, and inequality in the United States, whether through professional work or as a volunteer.
Reueline Arulanandam is a 20-year-old rising senior at Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Mo., studying public health, political science, and urban poverty studies.
Arulanandam currently works with Phillips Black, an organization that assists individuals on death row who claim innocence. Previously, she worked at Concordance Academy as a Policy Fellow through the Pershing Fellowship for Nonprofit Leadership. Concordance is a nonprofit organization that helps people who have been incarcerated rebuild their lives and reduce their risk of re-incarceration. There, Arulanandam witnessed the resilience and transformation of individuals returning from prison and the multi-faceted reentry issues, deepening her understanding of the impact of dedicated advocacy and compassion.
In addition to her other commitments, Arulanandam volunteers with The FAM (Fair Access to Mortgages), a nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating the racial gap in homeownership in the St. Louis region through subsidized homeownership opportunities for families affected by race-based housing discrimination.
Her first significant service experience in St. Louis was with Restore St. Louis: Firm Foundation Tutoring, where she witnessed the stark educational inequities underserved children face. This experience highlighted the profound impact of quality education and demonstrated how faith and justice can be intertwined, providing academic support and fostering hope and dignity.
These experiences have enriched Arulanandam’s perspective on justice and redemption, reinforcing her commitment to advocating for marginalized individuals. As the current Student Government Association President at Saint Louis University, she brings a powerful vision of restorative justice to her role. Approaching the 10th anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, she is dedicated to amplifying the voices of Black students and alumni, fostering opportunities for storytelling, and connecting justice with the university’s Catholic mission.
On campus, Arulanandam is also passionate about addressing issues of civic unity and accessibility and giving underrepresented student leaders a seat at the table with administrators. She hopes to attend law school after graduation and pursue a legal career at the intersection of health equity and criminal justice.
“This award means so much to me,” said Arulanandam. “Looking at the past leaders who have received this honor, they are all the type of leaders I want to be. They are strong, rooted in the Gospel, and genuinely invested in restoring the communities around them. This award has only inspired me to want to do more, to give more, and to one day return to the nonprofit organizations and community organizers who are sacrificing so much for the hope of a more equitable future.”
As the recipient of this award, Arulanandam will receive a cash award of $4,000.
The Leadership Award was established in honor of Dr. Richard Herman, We Raise Foundation’s fourth president (2006-2015), a passionate supporter and encourager of young adult Christian leaders.
About We Raise Foundation
Motivated by the belief that freedom is grace in action (Galatians 5:1a), We Raise Foundation partners with Christian nonprofit organizations and emerging leaders working at the intersection of poverty, violence, and inequality. We have a preference for funding solutions within the areas of education, workforce development, and criminal justice and employ a unique approach to our investing by coupling program funding with a variety of robust value-added services that empower our grantees to grow their solutions. As a result of these value-added services, every $1 that donors invest through We Raise multiplies into more than double the benefit to the organizations we support. To learn more, please visit weraise.org. You can also find We Raise on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
