21 students honored for service work with annual Community Spirit Awards

The Cornell Public Service Center honored 21 outstanding students dedicated to service at the fourth annual Community Spirit Awards April 26 in the Biotechnology Building on campus.

Community Spirit Awards winners Nathaniel Brown '04, center, and graduate student Erin Simmons, right, are joined by award presenter Erin Brannon '02, an associate director with On Site Volunteer Services, which nominated Brown and Simmons for their volunteer work. Robert Barker/University Photography

The result of a collaboration between local community agencies and the Public Service Center, the awards program is designed to recognize and celebrate the notable accomplishments of community work-study and volunteer students at Cornell.

This year's awards ceremony was held during National Volunteer Week to bring attention to the many hours of service Cornell students provide in the Tompkins County area. It was part of a weeklong celebration of the center's student volunteers, which included a kick-off event on the Ithaca Commons, decorating IV bags for the children's unit at Cayuga Medical Center, a food drive, building trusses for Habitat for Humanity on Ho Plaza and working at various local agencies.

For the awards, local human service agency representatives nominated students in five categories: Innovation in Service, Excellence in Academics and Service, Dedicated Service, Star Performer, and Community Building. The award recipients were selected by a committee of Cornell staff and students and community agency staff.

George Ferrari '84, executive director of Catholic Charities of Tompkins County, spoke at the awards ceremony and urged students to make public service a lifelong habit.

Listed below are this year's awards recipients and the categories in which they were honored.

·Innovation in Service -- presented to students who have initiated a project within an agency or brought tools or skills to the agency resulting in an enrichment of the agency's services: Carolyn Beelitz '01, community work study for the town of Ithaca engineering department; Cherie Carter '01, community work study for On Site Volunteer Services; and Alexa Mills '04, volunteer for Gannett Health Promotion.

·Dedicated Service -- presented to students who have shown a long-term commitment to a single agency or project: Michael Gurzo '01, volunteer for Habitat for Humanity; Jessica Jackson '01, community work study for Offender Aid and Restoration; Kristy Pocious '01, volunteer for the Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance; Holly Schaubert '02, community work study for the Fall Creek Elementary School Age Program; and Adam Trien '01, community work study for the Beverly J. Martin Elementary School After-School Program.

·Excellence in Academics and Service -- presented to students who have shown active involvement in the community while maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or above: Maryam Guiahi '01, volunteer for On Site Volunteer Services; Zhilun Pang '02, community work study for the Human Services Coalition; Erin Simmons, grad student, volunteer for On Site Volunteer Services; and Katharine Willers '01, community work study for the Hangar Theatre.

·Star Performer -- presented to students who perform their work with contagious enthusiasm: Nathaniel Brown '04, community work study for On Site Volunteer Services; Michael Farrell '02, community work study for the city of Ithaca attorney's office; Lisa Fleury '02, volunteer for Gannett Health Promotion; and Peter Rusello '01, community work study for the Finger Lakes Land Trust.

·Community Building -- presented to students who have worked to build understanding throughout the community: Thomas Alley '01, community work study for On Site Volunteer Services; Veronique Bowen '01, community work study for On Site Volunteer Services; José Lara '03, community work study for the Teen Community Center; Chihiro Fukami '04, volunteer for Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service; and Jane Thipphavong '04, volunteer for Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service.