Six Students Garner Service Leadership Awards

Author: Ashley Elpern

Last night, over 40 Middlebury College students were recognized for their dedication to community service, both locally and at the College, at the annual Public Service Leadership Awards Ceremony held in the McCullough Social Space.

Anne Lionberger '02, one of the six recipients of the Middlebury College Public Service Award, was chosen as the speaker for the night based on her extensive service in Oaxaca, Mexico, to promote the use of folic acid in women to prevent neural tube defects in newborns. Her project, "A Bridge to Community Health," has helped to implement educational programs in Oaxaca and has lobbied local officials to create their own initiatives.

"We all have a lot of experience in public service," said Lionberger, prefacing why she believed others deserved the honor to speak as much as she did. Speaking about the nature of volunteering, she noted, "No matter how hard I work, I will never see a just world." She said this made her strive to work even harder.

Also receiving Public Service Awards were Michael Azarra '02.5, Susan Carter '02, Scott Faucett '01.5, Grayson Fertig '02 and Matthew Wolf '04. Azarra is the president of Operation Smile at Middlebury, an organization that raises money to perform surgery for children with facial deformities. This year, he organized a symposium entitled "Global Human Health: Perspectives and Possibilities" to raise awareness for Operation Smile and other world health issues.

Carter has been an integral part of the Community Friends organization since her sophomore year, offering exemplary service and care to an 11-year-old girl with Down's syndrome. Faucett graduated from the College in February and has continued working with the Middlebury Volunteer Ambulance Association. He worked with the association during his time at Middlebury, serving 96 hours per week on call.

Fertig participates in the Foundation for Excellent Schools in Bridport, Vt., and as the co-captain of the men's hockey team, he has encouraged his teammates to become mentors for local children. He also speaks across the state to middle school and high school students about setting goals and attaining them.

Wolf founded the Future Stars Sports and Leadership Camp, a program in Lowell, Mass., to keep Cambodian and Latino children off the streets to prevent gang violence.

Tim Brownell '02 received the Alma Gibbs Donchian Award for activism in literacy for the second year in a row for his dedication to both the Page 1 Literacy Program, the Middle Ground Theater for elementary school students and the Aurora School in Middlebury, where he teaches acting to its students.