We have our winners for The 2020 Gentlemen Showcase! Congratulations to Anders Pierson from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for being named the 2020 Gentleman of the Year and to James Fallon from Armonk, NY, for being named The Gentlemen Showcase Honorable Mention.

Anders Pierson is a Computer Science major at University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Pierson was nominated by his friend, Emily Madden, for his dedicated service to his community and across the world. She shared in her nomination that Pierson has served with organizations such as Samaritan’s Feet and Hands-On Charlotte, and he spent two summers in Kenya, Africa, where he used his skills to create a website that allowed churches in the area to connect via social media.

Pierson shared about what it means to be a gentleman today, “In 2020, being a gentleman is based upon a man’s core values, his morality and honor. It means that a man will dedicate his life and behavior to a higher standard of conduct, not to make himself feel better, but to set a bar for how men should behave themselves…More than anything, a gentleman is true to his word, being a man whose words match his actions. A promise from a genuine gentleman means he will keep it until it is fulfilled as to be true to both himself and to those he cares about.”

James Fallon is a student at EF Academy. He was nominated by his friend, Stephanie Rivera, for his involvement as the Head Youth Volunteer at Heavenly Productions Foundation and as a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House. Fallon also started “Operation Backpack”, a project where he collects backpacks and school supplies that are given to students around the world who do not have access to these materials for their education.

Fallon shared why he believes The Gentlemen Showcase is important, “The Gentlemen Showcase unites our communities and illustrates we need to coexist with one another, respect one another, and be willing to make a difference by volunteering to lift others up in this world.”

During this year’s Gentlemen Showcase, more than 200 young men were nominated from schools across the country, including American University, Arizona State University, Brigham Young University, Emory University, Florida State University, Harvard University, Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, University of Colorado, University of Tennessee, University of Texas, University of Utah, and the University of Virginia.