Middlebury College Students Receive the 1998 Public

Service Leadership Awards

For the fifth consecutive year, Middlebury College

Volunteer Services has brought community and College together

for the Public Service Leadership Award dinner, held in May to

honor Middlebury College students who have provided volunteer

services on campus or in the community during the school year.

Nominated by student peers, community individuals, College organizations,

and organizations in the Addison County community, some 34 students

received certificates recognizing their outstanding service, and

six received Public Service Leadership Awards from the College

through the Patrick J. Durkin (‘79) Fund.

It is estimated that half of Middlebury College’s

students have been engaged in community service projects or service-related

initiatives this year. Over 300 students are involved in ongoing

projects, providing a minimum of two hours per week for dozens

of agencies and individuals, coming 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.

Of the 34 students nominated, six received the Public

Service Leadership Award’s “Plaque of Appreciation”

at a special dinner held earlier this month at Middlebury College,

and have had their names engraved on a service recognition plaque

to be permanently hung in the McCullough Student Center. Recipients

were Summa Cum Laude graduate Mark Bisanzo ‘98 from Park Ridge,

N.J. for his activity in the role of a “big brother”

to several community youths; and Cum Laude graduate Donald Eggert

‘98 from Chittenango, N.Y., for his outreach and education efforts

on a speakers panel for Outright Vermont, for his contribution

to the layout of the publication Out in the Mountains, and for

his volunteer activities for AESOP, a Moscow-based AIDS prevention

program. Allison Goodman of the Class of 2001, from New Orleans,

also received an award for her work with the Middlebury Union

High School Bridges Tutoring Program; and Cum Laude graduate Suwha

Hong ‘98 from Durham, N.C., received an award for her work with

Habitat for Humanity. Other student award-winners were firefighter

Andrew McBeth ‘99 from Wyckoff, N.J., for his work with the Middlebury

Fire Department; and Summa Cum Laude graduate Julia Shreve ‘98

from Los Altos, Cal., for her leadership in the College’s student

group, the Volunteer Services Organization, for her work in the

education program of the Addison County Parent/Child Center, and

for her efforts on behalf of the College’s Bicentennial Literacy

Campaign.

President John McCardell addressed the group before

presenting the honors, saying, “These awards and citations

presented to students rank among the most noteworthy achievements

the College recognizes. Through the efforts of student volunteers

from this campus, the lives of people throughout the broad community

in which we live are improved.” Keynote speaker for the dinner

was Middlebury’s Vermont State Representative and former executive

director of the Addison County United Way Anne Ginevan, who commended

students on their public service efforts.

A cash award will be donated by the Public Service

Leadership fund to a number of community organizations, including

the Addison County Parent/Child Center’s continuing education

program for parents, the Middlebury Fire Department, Habitat for

Humanity, and Vermont OUTRIGHT. Organizations to receive cash

awards were selected by each award-winner.

The selection of students for the Middlebury College

Public Service Award was based upon demonstrated dedication to

a cause, helping to make a change for an individual or for the

community, and increasing the awareness and involvement of Middlebury

College students in that area of public service. Each nomination

was returned to the Student Activities Office and reviewed by

a committee of College students, faculty, and staff.