Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Anna Spens and Katelyn Addy are committed to community service. So much so that they will complete at least 300 hours of service this year in exchange for an education award through the Michigan Service Scholars (MSS) Program.

Michigan Service Scholars is an AmeriCorps program that encourages students to serve on their campuses and in their communities. MSS promotes civic engagement and active citizenship among college students.

Students who complete 300 hours of community service during one calendar year will receive a $1,132 education award to use for future tuition or paying off student loans. Spens and Addy have until Oct. 31 this year to complete their 300 hours.

Spens, a business management junior, and Addy, an architecture sophomore, were selected from a competitive pool of 15 applicants to participate in the program. This is the first year Lawrence Tech’s Office of Leadership Programs and First Year Experience has received the grant from Michigan Campus Compact to offer the program to students.

“Over the years of volunteering, I have seen how appreciative and thankful people are when you just give a few hours of your life away to someone else. As a college student, it is very apparent that I don’t have much money to give out in donations to causes, but volunteering my time is free and can equal out to a very good donation,” Spens said.

Addy is also a committed volunteer who credits “passion for people” for her desire to volunteer.

Community Service members complete their hours by helping community agencies achieve their mission by volunteering in various capacities. They may do this by working with various social issues tackled by 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations, K-12 schools or colleges/universities doing community work.

“I hope to make a positive impact on my community,” Addy said. “I also want to be able to show others that volunteering is important and can be fun.”

For more information about the Michigan Service Scholars program, contact Melissa Grunow, director of leadership programs and first year experience, at mgrunow@ltu.edu or (248) 204-2414.

Tweet