Student of the Week: Connor Bell

Connor Bell has been involved in service to others at least since he enrolled at Virginia Episcopal School nearly four years ago.

But last year, Connor’s involvement in community service shifted gears, from something he participated in to something he coordinated.

Connor’s father, John Bell, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Centra Health, was killed in May 2007 after he was struck by a minivan while bicycling on U.S. 501.

“I wanted to do something that kept his legacy alive and something that would bring our community together in remembrance of him,” Connor said.

For organizing last year’s John H. Bell Memorial LiveStrong Jamboree, Connor, 17, was named one of the top two youth volunteers in Virginia by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a national program that honors youths for outstanding volunteer efforts.

The honor included a $1,000 prize, an engraved medallion and a trip to Washington, D.C.

Around 100 people showed up for the jamboree, the proceeds from which went to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, an organization that promotes cancer awareness and invests in cancer research.

Last year’s jamboree raised more than $8,000, Connor said, and he planned the same event for this summer, setting a goal of raising $10,000 for the foundation.

“Now that we’ve had one successful year under our belt, hopefully more people will know about it and spread the word about it.”

Connor, who will graduate from VES this year, said he’s not sure which college he plans to attend, but since he’s already received an acceptance letter from Yale University, his sights are increasingly set toward that campus, where his sister Tatum Bell already attends.

Connor’s mother, Michelle Bell, said he’s always been a top-notch student, so it wasn’t a surprise to her when the university accepted him.

“I never had to push him or her in any way when it came to academics,” she said.

Bell said she’s proud of the work that her son has accomplished, both in service and in academics, as well as sports and other activities.

“To keep all those balls in the air,” she said, “he’s done really well.”

“I think because it’s always been that way he’s learned to manage his time.”

Connor’s career plans aren’t set in stone he said, but he said he’s zeroing in on Yale’s pre-med program, which would put him on a track toward being a surgeon, like his father.

“I’d like to be in a career in which I can help other people, and medicine is obvious when it comes to that,” he said.

Africa holds his particular attention, he said, as a potential destination where he could use medical knowledge to make a difference.

“I think that if I were a doctor that would be a place that would be very hard to ignore,” he said.