Community Engagement Awards

The annual Community Engagement Awards honor students, faculty and community partners whose leadership, service, and partnership strengthen the bonds of engagement that connect the University and the community. We gratefully acknowledge the faculty and community partners who are dedicated to creating experiential educational opportunities for our students and to inspiring their service to the community.

2010 HONOREES

FACULTY

Extraordinary Internship Coordinator
Peggy Weatherspoon, Gerontology

This award honors a faculty member who provides ongoing guidance to students throughout the internship experience, and who demonstrates initiative in developing new opportunities for students.

Ms. Weatherspoon is commended for the willing and passionate support and guidance she provides to students, partners and colleagues, and particularly for the personal and individual attention she provides to Gerontology students. She devotes time and effort to learn students' specific academic and career goals and match them with an experience that is mutually beneficial to the student and to the community partner. Her extraordinary knowledge of the community's various agencies and organizations serving the aging population represent valuable connections, and she utilizes her knowledge and connections to foster successful student placements and lasting partnerships.

Outstanding Service-Learning Instructor
Dr. Tu-Uyen Nguyen, Asian American Studies Department

This award honors a faculty member who provides a well-structured service-learning course experience by preparing and monitoring students and integrating their service into the curriculum; and for the positive impact the service has on students.

In acknowledging Dr. Nguyen's efforts, students, colleagues and partners alike commend her for the willing and passionate support and guidance she provides . She was particularly commended for creating a partnership with the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF) to teach a course on women's health issues and to create a service-learning opportunity for students that resulted in a survey with over 800 responses about women and their health behaviors. Dr. Nguyen built connections for her students between service and curriculum by arranging for them to attend a policy roundtable sponsored by OCAPICA where they learned about and addressed issues regarding health policy; to speak at a press conference; and to participate in a conference in Sacramento. Such efforts add dimension and relevance to Dr. Nguyen's classes and raise students' engagement with the community.

STUDENTS

Outstanding Student Leader
Paulina Salais, Child and Adolescent Studies

This award honors a student for leadership qualities that demonstrate creativity, initiative, or risk-taking; and course-related work that has positively impacted the student's colleagues, the organization or the community.

Ms. Salais worked with two CICE programs, Jumpstart and A.S.E.S. She was commended by her supervisors and site coordinators for the leadership, enthusiasm, and dedication she demonstrated in the classrooms. As a program lead, she transmitted these qualities to the other student teachers, thereby passing her positive influence along to all the children in the program classrooms. Her love for teaching radiates through everything she does, and she sets a high bar for excellence in the classroom that inspires other student teachers and their young charges.

Extraordinary Acts of Service
Scott Ramirez, Amy Chaikittirattana, Monique Arteaga

This award honors a student or students who have taken initiative and shown outstanding commitment and follow-through with course-related service projects; and whose actions have benefited the organization and community.

This team of students was nominated for the leadership and service they demonstrated in organizing and participating in the Child and Adolescent Studies Department's China Internship in summer 2009. The students completed a seminar course and then traveled to Shanghai to serve as youth tutors in the Shanghai Summer English Camp. These students distinguished their participation in the internship by their extra efforts in making travel arrangements, developing lesson plans, and conducting post-internship research.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Stellar Student Support
Richman Elementary School

This award honors an organization that has guided and/or mentored students, and has gone beyond its duties as a host site for experiential learning.

The over 10-year partnership between Cal State Fullerton and Richman Elementary School has created rich service-learning experiences for CSUF students that led to strenghtened learning outcomes for the school's pupils enrolled in Even Start, Head Start, and after-school programs. Richman faculty are enaged with CSUF faculty in additional professional development and program assessment activities, as well as scholarly reserach. The learning environment at Richman Elementary is rich for all involved, and the deep and dedicated partnership is a significant benefit for CSUF service-learning students.

Most Committed Partner
THINK Together

This award honors a partner that has contributed time, effort and/or resources to participate in CICE programs and fulfill its responsibilities as a host site.

Over many years as a partner site, THINK Together has hosted dozens of Cal State Fullerton students pursuing volunteer opportunities, service-learning or academic internship credit, or Federal Work Study employment. At various THINK Together after-school sites, CSUF students help kids with tutoring, enrichment activities, and exercise. THINK provides high-quality orientation and continuous training, and is a source of paid employment for many students upon completion of course-related service. Above and beyond these hallmarks of excellence, THINK is commended for the continuous leadership of Volunteer Coordinator Tom Linnert and his willingness to step in whenever called for such things as hosting a foreign delegation of campus visitors or training other prospective CSUF partner sites.

STUDENT CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

Impact Awards
Flying Samaritans
National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Total Hours Awards
Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity
Beta Alpha Psi

These awards are presented to recognized CSUF student clubs or organizations that conduct service that benefits the community. Impact awards honor a service club and a non-service club whose projecs throughout the year generated significant impact on the organizations or communities being served. The Total Hours awards honor a service club and a non-service club whose per-member and club-wide hours signify an outstanding commitment to service throughout the year.

GRADUATING STUDENT AWARDS

AmeriCorps Members

Graduating students have completed two years of service during the last four years as AmeriCorps Members receive a sash to be worn at Commencement.
*Daisy Avila, CHAD
*^Janice Baclig, CHAD
*Dagum Dereje, CHAD
*Laura Garibay, CHAD
^Nicole Muth, PSYC
^Paul Saiedi, AMST
*Paulina Salais, CHAD

AmeriCorps program:
*Jumpstart
^Students in Service

Community Engagement Medal

Graduating Baccalaureate and Masters students who elect to complete academic internships or service-learning in excess of departmental requirements may be eligible for the Community Engagement Medal worn at Commencement. There were 120 recipients of the Community Engagement Medal in 2010.