US Student is Youngest Person Ever to Receive Local MLK Award

For Toussaint Miller, a seventh grader at University School, this year's Martin Luther King Day will always have a special significance. Last Saturday night, Toussaint became the youngest person ever to receive the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award. The award is presented by The Cleveland Orchestra and Greater Cleveland Partnership, in cooperation with the City of Cleveland. 

Toussaint joins Judge Jean Murrell Capers and Congressman Louis Stokes (posthumously) as recipients of the 2016 award, which honors individuals who are positively impacting Cleveland in the spirit of the teachings and example of Dr. King.

"I felt especially honored to share the stage with the memory of the works of Congressman Louis Stokes and the Honorable Jean Murrell Capers," said Toussaint.  "Being the youngest person in the history of this award, to receive this great honor makes it even more special for me. I am deeply humbled and inspired to continue the work of Dr. King’s Dream."

A group of local dignitaries, including Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, presented the awards at Severance Hall prior to an annual celebration concert honoring Dr. King.

Toussaint, who dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon, was selected for his exemplary academic record and past involvement in the gifted and talented program at Chambers Elementary School.  In 2015, he received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award from the Superintendent of the East Cleveland School District, Ms. Myrna Corley. 

Outside of academics, Toussaint is actively engaged in community service by sharing his musical talents on the piano, drums, and trumpet with residents at local nursing homes. He serves on a youth mentor advisory board and is an active member of the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church. 

Click here to read the coverage on Cleveland.com.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award is given to selected individuals who demonstrate one or more of the following qualities: promotion of social justice, promotion of diversity and inclusion, leadership in community building, advocacy for educational excellence, and involvement with music and the arts to promote greater understanding and acceptance.

Congratulations to Toussaint on this great honor!
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Shaker Heights Campus

20701 Brantley Road
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122
JUNIOR K – GRADE 8
Phone: 216-321-8260

Hunting Valley Campus

2785 SOM Center Road
Hunting Valley, Ohio 44022
GRADES 9 – 12
Phone: 216-831-2200
University School serves over 850 boys in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 on two campuses in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. The School’s mission is to inspire boys of promise to become young men of character who lead and serve. Dedicated faculty, rigorous curriculum, and experiential programs foster intellectual, physical, creative, and moral excellence. University School is a diverse and inclusive community where each boy is known and loved.