Whitman College has been honored yet again by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Whitman’s name has appeared on the annual President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for two years in a row.
Center for Community Service Coordinator Lina Menard said the organization started three years ago and has been choosing winners annually. Whitman did not apply the first year.
Menard said that Whitman’s place on the Honor Roll was not a result of recent changes on campus, but rather a long history of service. “I don’t believe there has been a change at Whitman as much as there has been a renewed interest in community service nationally and among young people in particular,” she said. “The programs continue to attract more volunteers each year and we continually strive to improve the services we’re providing both to our students and to the populations we serve.”
Whitman is one of 10 colleges in Washington State featured on this list. Walla Walla Community College was also chosen, as well as Whitworth College in Spokane and Washington State University in Pullman.
According to the Corporation for National and Community Service Web site, the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll “recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative and effective community service and service-learning programs.”
Junior Carole Wilson, an intern with the Community Outreach program, thinks the fact that Whitman made this Honor Roll expresses something about the students here.
“We have an incredibly enthusiastic and passionate Center for Community Service (CCS), but I think this award says more about what’s at the core of Whitman students,” she said. “Whitman students want to make a difference and get involved in projects bigger than themselves.”
While jumping in the bounce castle after the Mentees to Campus Day carnival (which she helped organize) was over, Wilson said that community service on campus brings Whitman closer to the local community. “I think Whitman has a rocky relationship with Walla Walla, and the Community Outreach Program sort of bridges that gap,” she said.
Sophomore Matt Manley, who started the Adopt a Grandparent program last year along with sophomore Kelsie Butts, estimated that half of Whitman students volunteer in some way. The CCS office lists 300 students who have volunteered so far this year, but most volunteer work is done individually and off the record, according to Manley.
Manley said that he wishes all students would recognize how many opportunities there are to get involved. “There are a veritable myriad of opportunities that are already organized through the CCS, and I would especially emphasize your ability to start your own program,” he said. “But there are many one-time volunteer opportunities as well.”
The CCS is open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day, and its commitment to service is part of the reason why Whitman has been honored nationally for two years in a row.
Said Wilson, “I think the students we have and the staff at the Center work hand in hand to produce amazing results.”
