April 28, 1999
1999 Middlebury College Public Service Leadership
Awards
More than 30 Middlebury College students received
citations of commendation for volunteer work in the Addison County
community at the College’s annual Public Service Leadership Award
dinner held on Tuesday, April 27. Of the students who received
the certificates of merit, six were selected for special recognition
and received the 1999 Public Service Leadership Award.
The award-winning students will choose six non-profit
organizations to receive $400 donations, made by the College on
each student’s behalf. The other students honored at the dinner
will select organizations to receive a $200 donation. Donations
on behalf of the students will amount to a total of $7,600.
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 300 students are involved in
ongoing projects, providing a minimum of two hours per week for
dozens of agencies and individuals, amounting to more than 15,000
hours of student volunteer effort per year-the equivalent of more
than seven people working for the needs of the community full-time,
year-round.
The award-winners received the 1999 Public Service
Leadership Award’s “Plaque of Appreciation,” and have
had their names engraved on a service recognition plaque to be
permanently hung in Middlebury College’s McCullough Student Center.
Award recipients were seniors Matthew Bak, of Northampton, Mass.,
for his volunteerism with the Town of Middlebury Department of
Parks and Recreation’s youth basketball league; Eleanor Brown,
of Natick, Mass., for her work with the Middlebury College Campus
Girl Scouts and Middlebury’s Brownie Troop # 656; Murray Harris,
of Palo Alto, Calif., for his volunteerism as an emergency medical
technician for the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association;
Cinda Scott, of Olean, N.Y., for her work as a Community Friend
with the Counseling Service of Addison County and for founding
the Middlebury College PALANA Kids program; Katherine Stone, of
Bethesda, Md., who also worked with the Middlebury College Campus
Girl Scouts and Middlebury’s Brownie Troop # 656; and first-year
student Heidi Crockett, of Tulsa, Okla., for her volunteerism
for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging’s Neighbor to Neighbor
Program.
At the dinner, President John McCardell told honorees
that the public service aspect of student life ranks among the
most noteworthy achievements. He said, “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. Through your efforts, the lives of people throughout
the broad community in which we live are improved.”
Keynote speaker for the dinner was Frances K. Moseley,
former president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Boston.
She spoke of a shift in public service as it moves into the 21st
century, commenting that “a revolutionized evolutionary return
to the Peace Corps days of the 60s and 70s” is taking place.
“It is no longer acceptable to do for others. Today we are
doing with others,” Moseley said.
Each year in February or March, a call for nominations
goes out to the community to begin the selection process for the
award. Decisions are based upon students’ demonstrated dedication
to a cause, level of help toward making a positive change for
an individual or for the community, and initiative toward increasing
the awareness and involvement of other Middlebury College students
in public service. Each nomination was returned to the Student
Activities Office and reviewed by a committee of College students,
faculty, and staff.
To follow: a list of the nominees, and bio-sketches
of award-winners and the guest speaker Frances K. Moseley
1999 Middlebury College Public Service Leadership
Award Nominees:
Matthew J. Bak, Class of 1999
Over the past four years, Matt has coached for the
Town of Middlebury’s Department of Parks and Recreation in the
youth basketball program.
Sarah J. Borch, Class of 1999
Through the Counseling Service of Addison County’s
Community Friends program, Sarah has volunteered since 1996 as
a companion to a young woman with developmental disabilities.
Eleanor K. Brown, Class of 1999
Elly is co-leader of Middlebury Brownie Troop # 656,
which she founded with classmate Katherine Stone in 1996. She
also co-founded the Middlebury College Campus Girl Scouts.
Christopher S. Clark, Class of 2000
Chris has served as an emergency medical technician
on the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association for the past
two years.
Heidi M. Crockett, Class of 2002
Heidi has provided assistance and companionship to
an elderly woman in the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging’s Neighbor
to Neighbor Program.
Julie C. Crosby, Class of 2000
Julie has served as a mentor and College liaison
in partnership with the One More Step Program and the Patricia
A. Hannaford Career Center.
Carina D. Curnow, Class of 1999
Carina served over the past two years as a mentor
and College liaison in partnership with the One More Step Mentoring
Program and the Middlebury Union Middle School.
Glenn W. F. Edwards, Class of 1999
Glenn has been a leader of the Middlebury College
Volunteer Services Organization for the past four years, and is
currently the vice president. He is also co-chair for the Middlebury
College
Volunteer Preview orientation program.
Brenda A. Fraire, Class of 2000
Brenda volunteered for the nursing staff at the Emergency
Room of the Porter Medical Center.
Senake Gajameragedara, Class of 1999
Through the Counseling Service of Addison County’s
Community Friend program, Senake has volunteered as a “big
brother” to an area youth for more than a year.
Stacey A. Gorski, Class of 1999
Stacey volunteered over the past three years with
the Counseling Service of Addison County as a Community Friend
to a twelve-year-old girl.
Jaymie B. Gross, Class of 2001
During this past academic year, Jaymie served on
the United Way of Addison County’s Youth Council.
Jessica L. Harper, Class of 2001
Jessica volunteered at the Elm Street Group Home
for developmentally disabled women during Winter Term as a Community
Associate with the Counseling Service of Addison County.
C. Murray Harris, Class of 1999
Murray volunteered for the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance
Association while at Middlebury College. He collaborated with
Porter Medical Center on paramedic protocols, and served on several
other rescue squads.
Elizabeth R. Herman, Class of 1999
Elizabeth has been a leader of the Middlebury College
Volunteer Services Organization for the past four years, and is
currently the president. She is also co-chair for the Middlebury
College Volunteer Preview orientation program.
Nicole G. Hoeksma, Class of 2001
Nikki is a founding member of the United Way of Addison
County’s Youth Council.
Kate M. Landis, Class of 1999
Kate has volunteered as Middlebury College’s liaison
with Addison County Women in Crisis. She also participated on
the Sexual Assault Response Team, and in the annual Take Back
the Night event.
Meredith G. Livoti, Class of 2001
Meredith has served as an activity aid for the past
two years with Elderly Services’ Project Independence. She has
also worked to recruit more Middlebury student volunteers.
Lisa N. Mase, Class of 2001
Lisa volunteered this Winter Term with Habitat for
Humanity in Taos, New Mexico.
D. Andrew McBeth, Class of 1999
Andy has been a firefighter with the Middlebury Volunteer
Fire Department for over two years.
Karen E. Moore, Class of 1999
Karen volunteered for Students of Human Ecology,
a part of Vermont’s Community Health Assessment, to help provide
health care information to local families.
Jason J. Price, Class of 1999
For the past year, Jason has volunteered for the
Addison County Community Action Group. He is also a Community
Friend for the Counseling Service of Addison County.
Elizabeth Ransom, Class of 2001
Effie volunteers weekly at The Sheldon Museum in
Middlebury, working independently to inventory the objects in
many of the exhibits.
Megan E. Reilly, Class of 1999
For the last four years, Megan has helped St. Mary’s
Parish on numerous projects in the community and on campus. She
is also a Community Friend with the Counseling Service of Addison
County.
Cinda P. Scott, Class of 1999
Cinda served on the Counseling Service of Addison
County’s Community Friend program. She also founded the PALANA
Kids program to bring Middlebury College students of color together
with transracial families in the community.
Katherine L. Stone, Class of 1999
Kate is co-leader of Middlebury Brownie Troop # 656,
which she founded with classmate Eleanor Brown in 1996. She also
co-founded the Middlebury College Campus Girl Scouts.
Christopher M. Sullivan, Class of 2000
Chris has volunteered for the Middlebury Union High
School Learning Lab. He has also served in the Volunteer Services
Organization on many other projects.
Kathryn R. Walker, Class of 1999
Kate has volunteered for Addison County Woman in
Crisis over the last four years, and is currently one of the board
of directors and a community relations advisor.
Sohail Yousufi, Class of 2000
Sohail is a founding member of the United Way of
Addison County’s Youth Council.
Junaid Ziauddin, Class of 1999
Junaid is a founding member of the United Way of
Addison County’s Youth Council.
The Middlebury College Women’s Basketball Team
The team paired up with students at Weybridge Elementary
School to work on writing and reading projects. Participating
team members were Lauren Amen ‘02, Julianne Frisbie ‘02, Christine
Huwer ‘02, Heather Langlois ‘00, Kristy Laramee ‘01, Megan McCosker
‘01, Kelly McCarthy ‘99, Alyssa Pappas ‘00, Chrissy Peterson ‘99,
Riann Siciak ‘00, Dawn Trowbridge ‘00, and Joanna Woldowski ‘99.
Middlebury College Free Burma Coalition
The coalition has raised community awareness of the
people and culture of Burma, and brought local concern for Burmese
human rights issues to the attention of Vermont legislators and
the Burmese Embassy. Free Burma members are Corey Bills ‘01, Catherine
Dalton ‘01, Katherine DeNiro ‘01, Nicole Lanthier ‘99, and Faye
Leone ‘99.
Students Selected for Special Recognition:
Matthew J. Bak, Class of 1999
During the past four years, Matt has successfully
managed a demanding pre-med curriculum and an extensive volunteer
commitment to the Town of Middlebury’s basketball program. He
exemplifies a true sportsmanship ideal in public service. A youth
league coach, Matt demonstrated that a cohesive team spirit will
enhance the pursuit of one’s personal best. He gave each young
player equal time on court to feel the thrill of stretching individual
talents, as well as the pressure to strive, under the clock, toward
a united goal.
Matt’s organization, dependability, and dedication
provided a rewarding arena for growth and achievement. Each week,
he offered three two-hour practices and scheduled additional sessions
when needed. He brought other college students and parents into
the program, and was a consistent, encouraging influence at every
game. He gave his friendship to the players, and hosted end-of-season
pizza parties to cement the positive relationships they had built
as a team.
Matt’s philosophy is “athletes first, winning
second.” He has shown his players that the measure of being
successful athletes may not always be seen on the scoreboard,
but will always be seen on the sidelines. As one parent said,
Matt’s wonderful attitude and integrity will never be forgotten
by this group.
Eleanor K. Brown, Class of 1999
Elly Brown is the co-founder of Middlebury Brownie
Troop # 656, and also of the Middlebury College Campus Girl Scouts.
Troop # 656—the only student-led Brownie team in town—steadily
increased its membership through Elly’s outreach endeavors. She
worked with the Vermont Council of Girl Scouts to train other
student leaders so the troop can continue to grow in years to
come. The Campus Scouts—the only troop at a Vermont college—is
another legacy for partnership between our town and college initiated
by Elly’s enthusiasm.
In 1996, Elly and fellow-student Kate Stone responded
to the community’s need for Girl Scout leadership with commitment
and energy. A dedicated leader, Elly sought volunteer projects
that implanted seeds of interest to help the young girls become
aware of their importance as contributors to their world. Each
week during her years at Middlebury, Elly provided a fun, educational,
and secure environment for the troop to explore its individual
strengths, interests, and goals.
To bolster interaction and mutual appreciation between
Middlebury College students and people in town, Elly worked to
recruit other students, both male and female, for leadership posts
in area Girl Scouts programs. She is a dynamic and entertaining
role model for her Brownie troop, and for her peers on campus.
Heidi M. Crockett, Class of 2002
Sometimes the simple act of listening with genuine
interest and being a friend makes a tremendous impact on the life
of another. Heidi Crockett, through her compassioned volunteerism
with the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging’s Neighbor to Neighbor
program, made that kind of difference to a woman struggling with
advanced age and isolation on the outskirts of our community.
Heidi drives 30 miles each week to visit her elderly
friend’s mobile home in the countryside, and to offer companionship,
physical assistance and immeasurable emotional support. Using
a college car for their errands, lunches in town and other excursions
vital to a healthful and integrated life, Heidi alleviated this
person’s very real separation from the outside world, and re-awakened
in her the courage to trust others, to regain some control over
her life, and, most importantly, to be happy.
In the words of her program coordinator, Heidi “doesn’t
separate ‘volunteer work’ from the rest of her life. Her commitment
to serve is deeply ingrained
an essential part of who she
is.” Heidi’s gentle kindness shows us all that seeking friendships
beyond the typical or immediate social venues not only enriches
the lives of those in isolation, but also our own.
C. Murray Harris, Class of 1999
Murray Harris has made public service a priority
during his Middlebury College career. His pursuit of emergency
rescue skills, and participation with the Middlebury Volunteer
Ambulance Association has affected hundreds of lives. One recent
occurrence of his profound contribution was at the Kenyon Arena
earlier this year. Murray’s skill and immediate response to a
fan in crisis made all the difference to everyone there—especially
to the man whose life was saved.
In his first year at Middlebury, Murray trained to
be an ambulance driver and underwent basic medical instruction.
The following summer, he studied with a New Hampshire program
for further emergency certification, and, in his junior year,
temporarily left college to seek the highest level of pre-hospital
emergency training at a paramedic school out west. Determined
to bring the advanced life-support measures he had learned back
to the Middlebury squad, he worked with Porter Medical Center
upon his return to design protocols and obtain state approval
for paramedic care previously unavailable in this community.
On call 12 to 20 hours a week, Murray also serves
on squads in New Hampshire on weekends, and maintains a strong
academic record. Dedicated, compassionate, and heroic, Murray
is an inspiration to his peers and colleagues.
Cinda P. Scott, Class of 1999
During her college years, Cinda has established new
ties between local families and students through her efforts as
a Community Friend with the Counseling Service of Addison County.
With Middlebury College students, parents of transracially-adopted
children, and the Counseling Service, she also founded the PALANA
Kids program to enhance awareness of our diverse community. By
bringing together transracial families and students of color,
Cinda fostered an arena for sharing a broadened and mutual cultural
experience.
Cinda also served as a Community Friend to an African-American
girl. Her unwavering involvement strengthened the child’s self-confidence
and ethnic identity, and earned the love of the family. The girl’s
mother speaks of Cinda’s lasting impact, and how her importance
to the family is deeply felt.
Cinda recruited other Middlebury students into the
Community Friends and PALANA Kids programs, and encouraged mentoring
friendships. She helped to develop feelings of self-assurance
and pride within the young people of our community, and has facilitated
an essential connection between families and individuals. Cinda’s
leadership, vision, and initiative have set an important standard
for community service.
Katherine L. Stone, Class of 1999
Kate Stone, a dedicated Girl Scout since the first
grade, has been an active volunteer leader while at Middlebury
College. In remarkable attention to her work here, she maintained
contact even while studying abroad so she could continue to support
Middlebury Brownie Troop # 656, which she founded with Elly Brown
three years ago. Kate also co-founded the Middlebury College Campus
Girl Scouts to enlist other strong leadership models for the younger
girls, and to promote positive involvement between college students
and the local community.
Kate attended all weekly troop meetings with enthusiasm,
demonstrating time and again that Girl Scouting can forge friendships
and create powerful opportunities for public service. She reaffirms
the time-honored values: respect for elders, friendliness, consideration,
strength, courage, and the responsible use of resources. Kate
has promoted the interests of her young companions, and encouraged
them to explore their importance as contributors to the community.
Her philosophy that each individual can change the world is accompanied
by a lively, effective determination to make it a reality. A generous
activist and mentor, Kate has inspired others to be the same-and
she has showed them how.
Guest speaker Frances K. Moseley - excerpt from
Middlebury College President John McCardell’s dinner speech:
It is a very distinct honor to introduce our guest
speaker this evening, Frances K. Moseley. She is the former president
and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Boston. A prominent figure
in the Boston community, she has achieved remarkable results in
her career as both a corporate executive and as head of a major
nonprofit organization.
Frances Moseley is the personification of the aphorism
that anything worth doing is worth doing well. She also inspires
another phrase that more closely describes the way she approaches
her responsibilities: be certain that, whatever course you may
take in your professional life, service to others is both a personal
and a professional priority.
A recent magazine article about Ms. Moseley states:
“At some point, everyone who knows Frances Moseley has asked
a question like: ‘Where does she get the energy?’ ‘How does she
find the time?’ and ‘Does she ever slow down?’”
Questions like these are understandable considering
the many activities and organizations with which Ms. Moseley has
been associated. She is, as I mentioned earlier, the past president
and CEO of Boys and Girls Clubs in Boston. She assumed the post
in 1992, leaving a corporate position at John Hancock Mutual Life
Insurance. Previously, she had been consumer affairs manager with
the Boston Edison Company, and associate director of promotions
at WGBH-TV. She has participated on as many as 10 boards of nonprofits
and corporations, including service as a trustee of the Huntington
Theatre, the Massachusetts Sports Partnership, the New England
Aquarium, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Wang Center
for the Performing Arts. She is a director of PNC Bank, New England,
and of Tufts Associated Health Plans, Inc. She was recently named
by Boston Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in
the city.
As president of Boston’s Boys and Girls Clubs, Ms.
Moseley was both a relentless fundraiser and a dynamic force for
change. Under her leadership, the organization sharpened and expanded
its mission to gain unprecedented visibility in the Boston area.
The clubs now serve over 7,000 children, an increase of 2,000
since her leadership was initiated. She upped the organization’s
operating revenues from $3.75 million to $6.1 million. The number
of clubhouse facilities expanded from three to five, serving five
Greater Boston communities. The number of employees rose from
130 to over 200. A fundraising campaign to raise $775,000 actually
raised $1.8 million, and attracted the largest gift ever received
from living donors by a nonprofit organization in Boston: $2.6
million. Ms. Moseley aggressively pursued every opportunity to
solicit financial support for her organization. At the same time,
she and her husband, Monroe, also contributed generously to other
charitable causes, and help plan numerous fundraising events for
various organizations each year.
Frances Moseley is an energetic and effective advocate
for the nonprofit sector. Her skills as a manager, an organizer
and a fundraiser are legendary, and she exhibits an undying passion
and dedication for helping others. We are greatly honored that
she has taken time to be here this evening at Middlebury College.
Please join me in welcoming our speaker, Frances K. Moseley.