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Middlebury College Donates $3,500 to Nonprofits on Behalf of

Student Volunteers

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MIDDLEBURY, Vt.- On behalf of seven of its student volunteers, Middlebury College

recently donated $3,500 to various nonprofit organizations in the local community

and beyond. At the annual Public Service Leadership Award dinner last April,

Middlebury College formally recognized dozens of its students for their volunteer

work during the academic year. Citations of commendation were given to more

than 35 honorees, and Public Service Leadership Awards were presented to six

students. The Alma Gibbs Donchian Award for direct service in literacy was presented

by the College’s Page 1 Bicentennial Literacy Project as well.

Each award winner received an engraved plaque of appreciation and a cash award

of $500 to be donated by the College to a nonprofit organization. The seven

students were each asked to designate recipients for a $500 donation. A total

of $3,500 was distributed on their behalf to the following organizations: Middlebury

Union Middle School; Vermont Special Olympics; Lawrence Memorial Library, in

Bristol, Vt.; Addison County Women in Crisis; Middlebury Fire Department; Counseling

Service of Addison County; and the William Mmutele Masethla Foundation, in Zambia.

It is estimated that half of the College’s students have been engaged in community

service projects or service-related initiatives this year. More than 450 students

are involved in ongoing individual service efforts, providing a minimum of two

hours per week for dozens of local agencies and individuals. Amounting to over

20,000 hours of student volunteer effort per year, it is equivalent to more

than ten people working for the needs of the community full-time, year-round.

More than 800 students also participated in public service events or projects

coordinated by various College student organizations. If measured in terms of

currency at minimum wage, the total volume of service adds up to a student contribution

exceeding $180,000. At the award dinner, President John McCardell commended

the student volunteers, stating that public service ranks among the most noteworthy

—more— Middlebury College Public Service Leadership Awards/Page 2 achievements.

“You join a lengthening line of Middlebury students embodying the values of

volunteer service, a tradition that has become one of the most respected on

campus,” McCardell said. “Through your efforts, the lives of people throughout

the broad community in which we live are improved.”

Keynote speaker for the award dinner was Amy Gibans McGlashan, executive director

of Vermont Campus Compact. “Lead your generation to prepare society for the

21st century,” McGlashan told honorees. “Create new and productive institutions,

politics, and social structures based upon principles of love and compassion.”

To begin the award selection process, Middlebury College seeks nominations

from the local community in February or March of each year. The nominations

are then reviewed by a committee of College students, faculty, and staff. Selection

is based upon demonstrated dedication to a cause, level of help toward making

a positive change for an individual or for the community, and initiative toward

encouraging the involvement of other Middlebury College students in the public

service ideal.

Award recipients included senior Negar Ashtari of Gaborone, Botswana,

for her leadership efforts in the Middlebury-Mozambique Relief Initiative, Baha’i

community service projects in Addison County, African awareness initiatives

within the Middlebury College community, and volunteerism with the Tahirih Justice

Center in Falls Church, Va.; senior Christopher Clark of Pittsford, N.Y.,

for his service with the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association; senior

Carol Williams of Bristol, R.I., for her efforts in the Middlebury College

Volunteer Service Organization and Volunteer Preview, Danny’s Team-Vermont,

the People of Addison County Together Youth Summit, and the Counseling Service

of Addison County’s Evergreen House; junior Benjamin Pratt of Eddington,

Me., for his service to the Middlebury Fire Department; and sophomore Joshua

Raufman of New York, N.Y., for his efforts on behalf of the Vermont Special

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Middlebury College’s Page 1 Bicentennial Literacy Project co-founder and active

participant Abigale Stoller, a senior from Gibsonia, Penn., also received

a Public Service Leadership Award for her literacy service to the College and

local community. Sophomore Elizabeth Beetem of Los Altos, Cal., received

the Alma Gibbs Donchian Award for her participation in Page 1 efforts with the

Bristol After-School Kids Program, in Bristol, Vt. Page 1, the College’s Bicentennial

service initiative, connects members of the Middlebury and local communities

with literacy volunteer opportunities, and distributes children’s books collected

through its comprehensive book drive.

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