Eduardo J. Padrón
President
Office of the President
300 N.E. Second Avenue
Miami, Florida 33132-2297
305-237-3316
epadron@mdc.edu
Message From the President
Monday, June 15, 2009
MDC students and staff to be recognized at Volunteer Service Awards Ceremony
Civic engagement is a cornerstone at the College. More than 5,000 MDC students participate in academic service-learning each year and thousands more serve the community through their involvement in student clubs and organizations.
In recognition of their hard work, the Center for Community Involvement and the Department of Student Life are hosting the Third Annual President's Volunteer Service Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June 16, at 6:30 p.m., in Wolfson Campus' Chapman Conference Center (Room 3210). The President's Volunteer Service Award is issued on behalf of President Barack Obama by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation and encourages all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service and civic participation.
More than 340 students from all eight MDC campuses will be honored at the awards ceremony, which recognizes individuals who have completed a minimum of 100 service hours in a 12-month period, and clubs and organizations that have completed a minimum of 200 hours. Four MDC students, Ivan Alvarez, Suzanne Jennings, Julian Pinheiro and Vincent Timiraos, will receive lifetime achievement awards for completing more than 4,000 community service hours, while maintaining a full academic course load and other responsibilities.
Shirly Ferguson, who works in the student services division at Kendall Campus, will also receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. During her 30-year career at MDC, she has contributed thousands of volunteer hours to organizations such as the Greater Miami Youth Symphony, Jack and Jill of America, and the American Cancer Society.
In addition to individual acknowledgements, four MDC student groups will be recognized for their service commitment this past year: the Abilities Awareness Recognition Council, the InterAmerican Campus Student Government Association, the Hialeah Campus Student Government Association, and the Kendall Campus Future Educators of America.
I would like to congratulate and thank all of the award recipients for their commitment and dedication to the betterment of our community, and the more than 200 faculty who engage students in service-learning projects each year. Special thanks go out to Josh Young, director of the College’s Center for Community Involvement (CCI), and our Wolfson Campus colleagues from CCI and Student Life for hosting and organizing this event.
Thank you.
Eduardo