May 23, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Stephan Lamb
(805) 756-6509
Cal Poly 2005 President's Service Awards Announced
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Raising money for Asian tsunami victims and orphans, remodeling a home to be accessible for an elderly Nipomo couple, and funding a shipment of 400 wheelchairs to disabled Guatemalans were just a few of the student volunteer projects recognized by awards from Cal Poly President Warren J. Baker this month.
Faculty, students and community members were recognized for their efforts during academic year 2004-05 at the 19th Annual President's Community Service Awards, which took place May 12 on campus.
Awards and those recognized were:
- Orfalea College of Business Economics lecturer Clare Battista
received the Significant Contribution to Service award for her dedication to community-based learning. Each quarter, she sends her students into the community as part of her classes.
- Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Professor Roya Javadpour
received the Innovation in Service award for her PolyHouse project. For the past two years, Javadpour's project management class has renovated a home for disabled individuals on the Central Coast; the students manage the project from planning to fund-raising to actual renovation and construction.
- Speech Communications Professor Nina Truch, students Mario
Migliore (above right)
of Riverside, Melanie Rhoads (below right) of Fullerton, and community member Erik Parkinson (founder of the nonprofit group VeAhavta) were
honored
for their collaboration on a local tsunami
relief fund-raising project. Their fund-raising events, including
a 5K run/walk in San Luis Obispo, aided children orphaned by the
tsunami in Southeast Asia.
- Cal Poly Promise Fellows
are recent graduates who have spent the
past year serving with AmeriCorps. This year's Cal Poly Fellows are Joshua Hardester and Karla Quiroga, of San Jose, and Krysta Williams of Auburn. The three worked in a variety of projects over the past year, including bringing nutrition education to all fourth grade classes in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, working with the local AIDS Support Network to engage faith-based communities in ASN fund-raisers and food drives, and establishing after-school tutoring programs in six local elementary schools.
- Student Maureen Lamb, of Camarillo, received
a President's Community
Service Award for her outstanding work for the Wheelchair Foundation Cal Poly Chapter. Through her skill and hard work, she was able to raise over $10,000 in corporate sponsorships to underwrite the Gift of Mobility Benefit. This enabled every dollar of the ticket price, as well as all the proceeds from the auction (over $30,000), to go directly to the purchase of 400 wheelchairs for needy, disabled Guatemalans.
- The club Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE)
received a President's Community Service Award. The 12-member
club performed over 1,100 hours of community service during the
academic year. One of the two projects they were honored for included
work with over 100 first-generation college-bound high school
students during Upward
Bound
college day, where SIFE members (right)
taught the principles of financial management and dressing for
an interview.
SIFE was also honored for its help at local elementary schools teaching the principles of personal financial management, responsible credit behavior, and creating a professional image through dress and resume-building. The award was shared by SIFE faculty advisor and Orfalea College of Business Professor Norm Borin and students Breanna Wigle of Carpinteria, Sharon Dobson of San Luis Obispo, Ariana Nelson of Kingburg, Angela Claire Corpus of San Jose, Stacia Wellman of Lincoln, Neb., Michael Blackwell of San Diego, Eric Milburn of San Luis Obispo, Mary Keesling of San Martin, Rachel Rotondo of Sebastopol, Jeanna Pobor of Shell Beach, and Nicole Brown of Moorpark.
- The Economic Opportunity Commission, a local
nonprofit social service agency, received the award for Outstanding
Community Partner. EOC has partnered with Cal Poly students on
many projects over the year. Students in community-based learning
courses regularly volunteer at EOC Head Start preschools and the
EOC Homeless Shelter. This year during Greek Week and WOW Day
of Service, students painted the inside of the Homeless Shelter.
- The Associated Students Inc. 2005 student government
officers Blake Bolton of San Diego, Tylor
Middlestadt of Albany, Ore., Greg Van Dyke
of Pleasant Grove and Tracy Watte of Tulare received
the Civic Engagement award. The student government officials worked
on a number of community projects this year, including the launch
of a mediation service to aid in resolution of disputes between
landlords and tenants and between neighbors.
- Fraternity Delta Chi received the Greek Service Award. Delta Chi has contributed community service hours through a wide range of activities. They have totaled 1,400 hours of community service this year.
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