Greg Mortenson,the man behind the New York Times bestseller, Three Cups of Tea, because he is promoting peace in Pakistan through education

Greg has built over 90 schools in Pakistan, leading him to a nomination for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and a #1 spot on the New York Times Bestsellers list.

Greg Mortenson took a winding path to become such a famous volunteer. He was born in 1957, and spent some of his childhood in Tanzania. He was a member of the U.S. army, and graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1982. It seems he lived a normal life, until the sudden death of his sister in 1992. To honor his sister's memory, Greg decided to climb K-2. He failed, and wandered off the mountain fatigued and starving. Luckily, he came across an impoverished village. This village tended him back to health. In return for their care, Greg promised to build them a school.

He had some trouble locating the money to build the school. However, Dr. Jean Hoerni funded him, and the pairing didn't stop building schools there. Jean decided to co-found the non-profit Central Asia Institute, with Mortenson. Mortenson continued to build schools, and the pair produced more than 90 schools that have educated more than 34,000 schoolchildren. Mr. Mortenson has won many accolades for his work, including the Sirata-E-Pakistan (Highest Civil Honor in Pakistan), 10 Honorary Doctorate Degrees, and is a nominee this year for the Nobel Peace Prize! He is a truly impressive and selfless human being.