Campus and community involvement highlighted at awards celebration
Students were honored April 29 for campus and community involvement at the Community Engagement and Impact Awards Breakfast organized by the Center for Experience and Opportunity (CEO) and the Office of Student Engagement. This first-ever event also acknowledged faculty, staff and community partners for their role in supporting students.
Student speaker Maia Hanlon, a senior Mathematics and Computer Science major from Madison, Wis., spoke of finding community at McDaniel by volunteering with Green Terror Programs and with service-based organizations, Heroes Helping Hopkins and Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity.
“It was through service and involvement such as this that I grew up to be who I am today, more confident and unafraid to step up to make change in my community,” she said. “I will never lose the community — the home — here on the Hill that I have built and come to love.”
Senior Lacey Utz, a Psychology major and Elementary Education minor from Fallston, Md., was awarded the Legacy Award as the graduating senior who has excelled in leadership, service, academics, school pride and spirit. Utz serves as head resident assistant and has been involved as fellowship vice president for Alpha Phi Omega and with McDaniel College’s Advisory Council for Teacher Education, plus she is a member of multiple honor societies.
Laura DiCarlo, senior Business Administration major from Bel Air, Md., was named President of the Year for the Student Alumni Council and Emily Farrell, a sophomore Kinesiology major from Hampton, Va., won the Unsung Hero (Student) award for helping to grow membership and interest in the Kinesiology Club.
Additional Impact Awards for campus involvement were awarded to student leaders and student organizations, including:
• Outstanding Student Organization – Student Alumni Council
• Outstanding Student Organization Program (Entertaining) – Old School Skate hosted by Green Terror Programs
• Outstanding Student Organization Program (Educational) – Thank a Giver (TAG) Day hosted by the Student Alumni Council
• Advisor of the Year – Elly Engle, assistant professor of Environmental Studies, as advisor for the Green Life club
• Unsung Hero (Faculty and Staff) – José Moreno, Director of Diversity and Inclusion
• Outstanding Community Impact – McDaniel’s Habitat for Humanity chapter
Also recognized were students who received 2018 Griswold-Zepp awards in student volunteerism. Learn more about their projects by watching the following video.
In addition to student awards, Chloe Irla, assistant professor of Art, was recognized for receiving the Nora Roberts Foundation Faculty Award for Community Engagement, which provides McDaniel faculty members with financial support for projects that enrich student learning through community engagement activities. Irla’s “Grain of Rice Gallery” initiative funded student community art projects, including making painted stone sculptures and stop-animation videos with students at the Boys and Girls Club of Westminster and creating a new bookmark for the Carroll County Public Library in Westminster.
Elly Engle, assistant professor of Environmental Studies, was given the award for the 2019-2020 academic year to establish a Carroll County seed library to be able to offer seeds for free or for a nominal fee as part of her “Changing Food Systems” course being taught in the fall.
Paul Kazyak, a retired Maryland Department of Natural Resources scientist and current lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, spoke as the featured community partner. As a Boy Scout troop and Venturing Crew leader, Kazyak began working with McDaniel students planting trees and has been involved with Green Life club leadership retreats.
Paul Kazyak spoke as the featured community partner
