Seth Bloom

Seth Bloom’s philosophy, taken directly from his online profile, perfectly describes his compassion and will for service. He writes, “Take a moment to thank the people you love, who’ve helped you get to where you are today…to extend that same love and help to somebody who needs it as much or more than you did…but never forget how many people have helped you along the way and where you might be today without that help.”

In 2000, as a Washington University in St. Louis undergraduate, Seth passionately and diligently set out to serve the community. He joined Mentor St. Louis and tutored at Clark Accelerated Academy for five years. Seth began with first-graders and worked with them until they graduated from fifth grade.

Additionally, Seth was instrumental in community projects that have impacted WUSTL and the greater St. Louis community. As a leader of WUSTL’s chapter for Amnesty International, he served as liaison to the Coalition Against Police Crimes and Repression (CAPCR). Seth’s roles as a delegate included advocating for the creation of a Civilian Oversight Board (COB) to receive, investigate and make findings concerning citizen complaints of police misconduct. He also organized numerous forums on the issue at and outside of WUSTL. What’s more, Seth has educated citizens and collected hundreds of signatures in favor of a COB through canvassing efforts. In 2004, Seth earned the “Unsung Hero in the Respect, Promotion and Practice of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” for his efforts in this project.

Currently, Seth attends the Washington University School of Medicine, where he is earning his M.D./Ph.D. Through such programs as the Student National Medical Association (the African-American counterpart to the AMA that formed when African-American physicians were not allowed to join the AMA), he has mentored high school and WUSTL students, led educational workshops for classmates on public health and HIV/AIDS, and participated in St. Louis’ first ever African-American AIDS Walk. He continues to lead discussions among classmates about racial and socioeconomic segregation in St. Louis and their effects on community health, the city’s ailing public schools and the importance of volunteering within the school system to improve it.

Koong-Nah Chung, Seth’s nominator, describes him best when writing, “through his example and his deeds he has shown compassion for others, gone above and beyond his responsibilities as a student and repeatedly has demonstrated that for him, community service is a way of life.”