Sophomore matches with McDaniel for state’s first-in-the-nation public service program

McDaniel College is among the host sites for the inaugural Service Year Option and Maryland Corps, a partnership with the new Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation, which is working to expand service and volunteerism statewide.

McDaniel sophomore Ameerah Johnson of Waldorf, Maryland, applied for the program and matched with McDaniel, where she is assisting with student outreach for various initiatives and programming focused on supporting students across the eight dimensions of wellness – intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, financial, physical, and occupational.

“I appreciate that McDaniel was selected to take part in this first year and am excited to see Ameerah assist with increasing awareness of our comprehensive wellness efforts with our students,” said Provost Flavius Lilly.

Johnson, a Criminal Justice and Sociology major, is involved at McDaniel as treasure of Hairitage, a natural hair club; Women of Resilience, Tenacity, and Honor (W.O.R.T.H.); and Positive Pathways student organizations, as well as with the McDaniel yearbook and as a McDaniel Local Leader. She is also a member of the women's indoor and outdoor track and field teams where she ranks second in program history indoors in the weight throw and sixth in the shot put. She ranks eighth in program history outdoors in the hammer throw.

The nation’s first public service year program for high school graduates, the Service Year Option and Maryland Corps provides pathways for high school graduates to serve their communities.

“The launch of the Service Year Option and Maryland Corps Program represents a renewed commitment to cultivating opportunities and inspiring a spirit of service in Maryland,” said Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. “We're not just launching programs; we're connecting Marylanders to their communities and unlocking their potential in ways that will shape our collective future.”

"I would like to thank Governor Wes Moore and McDaniel College for this opportunity [along with] my mother and mama for instilling community service at a young age," said Ameerah Johnson. " [I would also like to recognize] Commissioner Amanda Stewart, Delegate Debra Davis, Delegate Edith Patterson, and Senator Arthur Ellis for their endless community service opportunities. I look forward to continue encouraging the student body and growing wellness programming along with the Maryland Service Year Option."