The annual awards honor those students who best embody the Ursuline philosophy of Serviam ("I will serve") and support the college’s mission of education for service. Tiffani Blake, special assistant to the president of the College of New Rochelle, presented the awards, which honor extraordinary volunteer service to family, church, school, community or society.
Benitez is a student leader who participated in the Student Government Association as calendar coordinator to help plan and execute student event. She also was a member of the college’s swim team and a regular volunteer on the Midnight Run to feed and clothe the homeless in New York City.
Gomez participated in the March 2014 Plunge to Haiti at College Pierre Toussaint in Sassier. While working there to establish the school’s first library, she drew upon her own experience as a 15-year-old immigrant from the Philippines to better understand the Haitians she served.
Johnson is a community advocate for Empowering Youth Towards Excellence Inc., an organization that works out of the Nehemiah Youth collaborative located in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Johnson also conducts a variety of seminars for women and often is invited to serve as a motivational speaker at stress management and spiritual enrichment programs.
Melcone volunteered last summer at Door of Hope 4 Teens, an organization that helps youth recover from self-abuse, where she worked to improve the capacity of this non-profit organization to serve teens who are in crisis. Her work included increasing public awareness through website improvements, raising funds through events and a successful grant application and leading the non-profit board.
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