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PRINCE JOY  Born June 18th, 1974 in Bonn to Indian parents – Malayalees from the State of Kerala - who have been working in Germany since 1967 (Mother) and 1976 (Father). Had the distinction of being elected – one of the very few foreign students in the School – as the President of the Student Body for three consecutive terms. This occurred as the “skin-head, anti-foreigner, racists and neo-Nazi demonstrations" arose in Eastern Germany. Led a group of students in 1993 for a dialogue with the “Skin-head”, at the invitation of the Mayor of Hoyerswerda, the city in East Germany where anti-foreigner violence first erupted. Fluent in many languages – English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, Malayalam – with a dual cultural tradition of India and Germany. Passed the “Abitur” from a German Private Ecclesiastical High School (Gymnasium); attended the same Gymnasium with my younger sister, Regina, where both have been boarders. Altar boy in our German Parish (St. Elisabeth) Church and at the School Chapel; volunteer service with the sick and the aged in hospitals during school vacations. Travelled widely – as a 11-year old, stayed with an English family in Southampton for six weeks and visited the United Kingdom again a few years later. Visited the U.S.A. with my parents and sister in 1987 for five weeks. Travelling from New York to Los Angeles, from Boston to Houston, the Niagara Falls and Washington was a great experience. In addition, I have had occasion to travel extensively in numerous instances to various countries in Europe - Austria, Belgium, France, Poland and Switzerland on skiing trips or on school exchange programmes. These various visits have given me the opportunity to become acquainted and make friends with a variety of peoples and to appreciate the unique perspective of each of our lives. During the time of outbreaks of xenophobia in Germany, participated in a panel discussion with the Mayor of Hoyerswerda (the City in East Germany where violence against foreigners first erupted) in Bad Muenstereifel. This was the largest meeting ever held in the city, which was attended by thousands of people from all over Germany and was widely reported in the news media.
Led the German-French students’ exchange programme, to Fougères (France) in 1988 and spoke at the reception hosted by the Mayor of Fougères, the partner city in France, in French language. Served as Paratrooper in the German Armed Forces (04/1995-03/1996). Medical Doctor at the University Hospital Aachen (UKA) Germany In my considered opinion, Prince is an unusually gifted student whose record of achievement, both academically and socially, makes him an excellent candidate for furthering his education. His multi-cultural background, dedication to learning and – of equal importance – his keen interest in widening his personal horizons, would make him an ideal entrant to your prestigious institution, well-suited to benefit from the opportunities afforded enriching his learning and his overall experience. I have known the family of Prince for many years and can attest to the fact that education and self-betterment have always been at the forefront of their concerns. Granting him the privilege of earning a Harvard education would help enable him to realise not only his but his family’s ambitions for this remarkable young man. Ambassador
LORNE S. CLARK (Canada) Although I have known his parents in Bonn, Germany, for many years through IUCN (The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), I got to know Prince himself when he visited Washington with his family in June 1989. Then the equivalent of a high school sophomore, Prince was an engaging and inquiring first-time visitor to the U.S. He balanced enthusiasm for what he had seen and experienced on the trip with questions about how our government works in practice and why there were so many homeless people to be seen. I was impressed by his effort to reconcile his observations with what he had read and been told about the U.S. I think his interest in people is borne out in his voluntary hospital service and his participation in student government. I believe his participation in public discussions of recent reactions to foreigners in Germany indicates that his commitment to human decency is genuine and that he has learned how to work effectively with people of very different persuasions. In sum, I think Prince shows great promise of having the skills and maturity needed to be a citizen of the world. And his academic performance demonstrates he would be an excellent student. WILLIAM
A. IRWIN (U.S.A.) Prince is an exceedingly bright, vivacious, and motivated young man. In addition to excelling in the rigorous academic curriculum of a German Gymnasium, he has distinguished himself in an extraordinary way. He is the son of Indian parents who have worked in Bonn, Germany for many years. His strength character led his fellow gymnasium students to elect him – one of the only foreign students in the school - to be President of the student body (“School Speaker”). This occurred as the “skin-head”, anti-foreigner, racists and neo-Nazi demonstrations arose in East Germany. Prince went to Hoyerswerda and met with all factions (including tense meetings with skin-heads). In fluent German, he advocated human respect, mutual good will, and argued anew for the humanitarian tradition. He served all of us well, and was a credit to his gymnasium teachers and parents. It would be attractive enough to recruit a bright young man, fluent in various languages, with the dual cultural tradition of India and Germany, conversant with European cultures and well versed in world history. Prince is all of these. But to have a student who has personally confronted bigotry of race and fear of foreigners, and has defended multi-cultural society, will bring you a student whose life experience will enrich your faculty and students alike. I have known Prince’s father for many years as a colleague at the Environmental Law Centre of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN – The World Conservation Union) in Bonn. His own work, to improve the quality of peoples lives, in India and internationally, is exemplary, and he and his wife have instilled this spirit in Prince and his younger sister. He is genuinely public spirited, and I have enjoyed becoming acquainted with him through his father. I am not given to writing such strong letter of recommendation. For Prince Joy, it is appropriate. No stronger candidate, academically or culturally, could fill your entering class, admit him. Prof.
Nicholas A. Robinson
I met Prince Joy about one and half years ago when he called at
my office in Vienna in 1994. Prince has already realised that the gift of living in freedom is not one that should be taken for granted; he is well-aware of the need to fight against the “small injustices” of daily life – as he has shown in his work as a student leader in Germany. I am very happy about my continued acquaintance with Prince – not only because I appreciate his support of the work of our Center but also because I am convinced that it is only young people with such strong character traits as his that will move the developments on this earth in a positive direction. I certainly believe that Prince Joy would be an asset to your college.
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In
1992 I had the rare honour of meeting with Dr. Simon Wiesenthal,
the man internationally best known as the “Nazi Hunter”,
in Vienna (Austria), of which I wrote an article.
Having read my biographical book "Justice,
Not Vengeance" about my long years of work to bring to trial Nazi
war criminals, Prince was very persistent in his efforts to get
an appointment with me, in order to discuss the possibility of his
being of service to us. I thus became acquainted with a very bright
young man who impressed me with his candid manner and especially
with his intellectual curiosity. He demonstrated a genuine interest
in history and an eagerness to help.