Better Health Care Begins With Student Leadership

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Ben Kurian. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light. 

Ben Kurian is co-founder and executive director of Students for Patient Advocacy Nationwide (SPAN), a youth-led organization empowering students to shape the future of health care policy. Since launching SPAN in 2025, Ben has helped build a network of nearly 50 high school, college and medical students across 16 states who organize advocacy campaigns, engage lawmakers and testify on legislation affecting patients and the future health care workforce. His leadership helped mobilize more than 100 medical students to oppose a Texas bill that would have eliminated pass/fail grading in medical schools, contributing to its defeat. To date, SPAN has engaged more than 1,500 elected officials and helped influence more than 50 pieces of health care legislation, proving that students can make a meaningful impact on public policy.

For Ben, advocacy begins with recognizing that the people who will inherit today’s policies deserve a voice in shaping them. He believes students bring fresh perspectives, a willingness to challenge assumptions and a deep understanding of the communities most affected by policy decisions. Through SPAN, he hopes to inspire more young people to move beyond observing problems and start solving them, showing that meaningful leadership comes from being willing to do the work, earn trust and speak up for others long before holding an official title.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Ben? Find local volunteer opportunities.