Nathaniel Elliott
Age: 19
Hometown: Edgewater, Maryland
Project: Living Hope Bus Trip

When Nathaniel Elliot was a senior in high school he heard that millions of people in Africa alone would be HIV positive by the time he graduated, and immediately knew he had to act. "I believe we too often see people affected by AIDS as statistics; we need to see them as individuals. Something needs to be done, and I believe my generation can do it," says Nathaniel.

Convinced of the power of his generation to take action, Nathaniel started Living Hope and took the country by storm—speaking to youth and inspiring people everywhere to help stop the global AIDS pandemic.

Nathaniel rounded up a group of friends and raised money to renovate a yellow school bus, covered with Living Hope graphics. The team organized an east to west coast tour and spent the summer of 2006 speaking to more than 70 churches, schools, and youth conventions across the country.

The project exceeded Nathaniel's expectations. Raising more than $43,000, Living Hope partnered with World Vision to build a school in Zambia for children affected by AIDS. The school, scheduled to open in the fall of 2007, will provide generations of children with the education they need to lift themselves out of poverty.

Nathaniel still receives email updates from people across the country that he spoke to and inspired into action. Living Hope continues to gain momentum and is gearing up for another countrywide tour in 2010.

Now a film student at Taylor University in Indiana, Nathaniel believes media can be a powerful tool to reach young people and bring about positive social change. He plans to one day create documentaries of the AIDS situation in Africa, bringing life to cold statistics with stories and images of hope.

To read more about Living Hope, visit:www.lhbustrip.com