ð

ð

SERVICE AWARDS FRIDAY, MAY 15TH, 2015

At the end of each year, the Service Program recognizes

exceptional service. We had so many amazing nominees that

we increased the number of awards this year to recognize

eleven seniors in their individual work,

one senior in her service with a work crew,

as well as one outstanding staff and one faculty.

Warren Wilson College Service Awards Celebration

May 15th

, 2015

Host & MC

Lyric Farmer, Bonner Leaders Service Crew

Welcome

Cathy Kramer, Dean of Service

Bonner Leaders Service Crew Presenting the:

Staff Award

William Pioquinto

Faculty Award

Misha Pérez

Work Crew Award

Emily Odgers

Undergraduate Awards

Sabrina Maria Chmelir

Senior Awards

Tayla Clark, Patrick Downing, Emily Fox, Austin Fust, Melvis Madrigal, Stephanie Menjivar, Jada Sheeler,

Sam Stone, Jasmine Woo, Brian Wuertz

Closing Remarks

Steve Solnick, President

BK  Segall    

Presented  by  William  Pioquinto    

Ladies  and  gentlemen,  today  I  am  honored  to  be  presenting  the  Thomas  Crumpler  Staff  Award  for  Leadership  in  Service.  This  award  is  named  after  Mr.  Crumpler  who  spent  over  20  years  as  a  volunteer  for  the  college  working  with  carpentry  and  church  relations.  He  was  always  a  tireless  supporter  and  advocate  for  student  

service  from  leading  break  trips  to  leading  by  his  example.  And  we  are  delighted  to  have  his  wife  here  with  us  today  as  a  special  guest.  I  would  like  to  introduce  Pat  Crumpler.  Thank  you.  It  is  in  his  honor  that  we  recognize  a  staff  member  with  

outstanding  contributions  to  service.

"Some  people  talk  to  animals.  Not  many  listen  though.  That's  the  problem.”    ―  A.A.  Milne  author  of  Winnie-­‐the-­‐Pooh.    

It  is  apparent  to  me  that  BK  Segall  is  one  who  listens.  Since  her  time  at  Warren  Wilson  College,  BK  has  done  outstanding  service.  Two  years  ago  she  was  the  faculty  member  for  the  Pine  Ridge  Break  Trip  and  even  though  this  wasn’t  a  specific  animal  

welfare  trip,  BK  saw  the  impacts  that  the  community  faced  with  un-­‐neutered  abandoned  dogs  and  jumped  at  the  opportunity  to  help  those  without  voices.  She,  along  with  others,  found  a  litter  of  pups  and  their  mom  living  underneath  a  porch.  Seeing  how  these  pups  were  starved  and  in  poor  health,  BK  took  them  in  and  fed  them.  She  then  adopted  each  and  every  one,  brought  them  home  by  air  and  in  a  car,  nursed  them  back  to  health,  and  found  them  good  and  loving  homes.  She’s  also  been  

on  several  insulate  trips  bringing  awareness  to  the  importance  of  home  weatherization  and  every  year,  with  her  crew,  she  volunteers  at  Animal  Haven  of  

Asheville.  As  stated  by  many  of  her  crew  members,  they  arrive  ready  on  work  day  to  their  lair  in  the  library;  BK  having  already  made  breakfast  and  as  excited  as  a  Mentos  in  a  Coke  bottle  ready  to  burst.  When  they  arrive  Animal  Haven,  I  was  told,  she  has  many  animal  companions  ready  to  run  up  and  greet  her;  one  of  them  being  Clyde  the  

goose.  A  fun  memory  someone  shared  is  that  this  year,  “Clyde  ran  up  to  BK  in  excitement  and  wrapped  his  neck  around  her.”  I  believe  it’s  true  that  indeed  you  can  

judge  a  person’s  true  character  by  the  way  they  treat  their  fellow  animal  companions.  If  that’s  the  standard,  then  I’m  not  only  honored  to  personally  be  delivering  this  award  to  a  well-­‐spoken  and  true  character  of  the  Warren  Wilson  Community,  but  to  an  individual  whom  I  hope  to  call  friend  for  a  long  time.

Jen  Mozolic  

Presented  by  Misha  Pérez

Our  next  award  is  the  Andrew  Summers  Faculty  Award  for  Leadership  in  Service.  Andy  served  as  the  Minister  to  Students  from  1991  until  his  untimely  death  in  2008.  He  used  service  as  a  way  to  enhance  learning  in  his  courses,  providing  a  positive  focus  on  the  power  of  love  and  laughter  to  change  the  world.  It  is  in  Andrew  

Summers  memory  that  we  award  this  year’s  faculty  award  for  leadership  in  service  to  Jen  Mozolic.

Jen  Mozolic  is  one  of  those  names  on  campus  that  you  just  know.  Actually,  when  I  was  first  told  that  I  was  doing  a  speech  about  Jen,  I  thought  "Oh  good,  at  least  I  know  her."  I  quickly  remembered  that  I  had  no  idea  who  she  was,  what  she  looked  like,  what  she  did  at  Wilson,  or  why  she  was  receiving  the  Andrew  Summers  Faculty  

Award.  And  so  my  journey  began. The  first  thing  I  did  was  hop  on  the  Warren  Wilson  facebook  to  find  out  what  she  looks  like.  That's  her  over  there  by  the  way  (in  case  you  missed  that).  According  to  the  facebook,  she’s  a  psychology  professor  with  an  office  in  Jensen  106  (PO  Box  

6204).  I  wanted  to  ask  one  of  her  students  (who  also  happens  to  work  in  the  service  program  office)  to  explain  what  type  of  teacher  she  was.  I  was  told:  "Jen's  a  hard-­‐ass,  but  she  really  keeps  you  engaged.  If  you  put  in  the  work  and  stay  engaged  in  her  

classes,  you're  going  to  learn  a  lot  and  have  a  great  time  doing  it.  To  find  out  why  she  deserves  this  award,  I  decided  to  ask  around  the  office.  It  turns  out,  Jen  has  been  teaching  a  service-­‐learning  biopsychology  class  that  partners  with  Hind's  Feet  Farm,  an  organization  dedicated  to  serving  persons  living  with  brain  injury,  for  several  years.  Every  semester,  Jen  and  the  director  come  up  with  a  

specific,  engaging  project  for  the  class  and  the  Hind's  Feet  Farm  members  to  share  together,  ensuring  lasting  connections.  Throughout  her  class  Jen  makes  sure  that  the  students  and  the  members  engage  with  each  other  on  a  higher  level  allowing  them  to  

bond  in  a  way  that  would  otherwise  be  impossible.  If  that  wasn't  enough,  I  also  found  out  that  Jen  will  be  taking  a  sabbatical  next  semester  and  is  continuing  to  stay  engaged  with  the  Asheville  community  by  collaborating  with  the  Asheville  City  

Schools  Foundation  to  evaluate  a  school-­‐based  mentoring  program.  

I  want  to  end  with  a  quote  from  the  nomination  letter  written  for  Jen  as  I  think  it  summarizes  Jen's  contribution  to  the  community  better  than  I  ever  could.  It  says,  "[my  experience  in  Jen's  class  with  Hind's  Feet  Farm]  was  not  'service',  it  was  'working  with  and  learning  from  each  other.'"  And  those  are  exactly  the  types  of  engaging  relationships  we  try  to  build  at  the  Service  Program.  Congratulations.    

Katrina  Hoven,  Work  Crew  Award    

Presented  by  Emily  Odgers  

“I  don’t  really  know  how  many  hours  I  have,  but  that’s  not  why  I’m  here.  I’m  not  in  it  for  the  hours.”  This  sentiment  is  pure  gold  in  terms  of  what  we  like  to  hear  at  the  Service  Program  Office;  this  statement  also  happened  to  be  expressed  to  me  by  Katrina  Hoven,  this  year’s  recipient  of  the  Work-­‐Crew  Service  Award  on  

behalf  of  the  Spanish  Crew.  By  utilizing  her  time  in  the  Work  Program,  Katrina  has  become  a  key  part  in  the  continued  success  of  the  Common  Ground  Project;  an  initiative  that  provides  engaging  ESL  classes  to  adults  while  simultaneously  

offering  free  childcare.

“Responsibility,  intellectual  maturity...  a  life  saver...  these  are  just  a  few  of  the  words  I  heard  when  asking  people  about  Katrina.  A  hard  working,  incredibly  

intelligent,  and  reliable  individual,  Katrina’s  time  at  work  has  been  committed  to  forging  community  relationships  and  service  learning  opportunities.

Sherrie  Mahowald,  the  coordinator  and  founder  of  Common  Ground  described

Katrina’s  impact  in  the  program:  “Katrina  has  embraced  teaching  the  very  beginners,”  Cherrie  remarked.  “She  is  providing  the  highest-­‐quality  ESL  

instruction-­‐-­‐keeping  students  engaged,  interacting  and  learning  the  entire  class  time.  I  am  absolutely  certain  that  Katrina’s  teaching,  enthusiasm  and  caring  have  

kept  these  beginners  coming  back.  In  fact,  they  are  the  best  attenders!

Katrina’s  role  on  the  Spanish  Work  Crew  has  also  led  to  the  expansion  of  meaningful  service-­‐learning  opportunities  for  Warren  Wilson  students.  Christine  

Swoap  of  the  Spanish  Department  described  Katrina’s  involvement  as  “invaluable.”  She  stated  “Katrina  is  thoughtful  and  reflective,  and  her  insights  help  me  to  tailor  the  class  and  activities  so  that  we  can  constantly  improve.”

Though  we  are  sad  to  see  her  go,  Katrina  already  has  exciting  opportunities  on  her  horizon  to  further  her  growth  and  engagement  with  community  issues.  I  

wish  her  luck  on  her  journeys,  as  she  continues  to  marvel  the  world  as  a  teacher,  leader,  and  friend.

Melvis  Madrigal,  Service  and  Peace  Award  

Presented  by  Sabrina  Chmelir  

 The  Service  and  Peace  scholarship  was  established  in  1998  by  Mrs.  Jean  Bennett.  Mrs.  Bennett  was  a  long-­‐time  friend  of  the  College  and  member  of  the  Warren  Wilson  Presbyterian  Church.  She  taught  in  the  Asheville  City  Schools  for  more  than  20  years  and  enjoyed  interacting  with  Warren  Wilson  students  during  her  lifetime.  It  honors  and  supports  students  active  in  service  and  peace  activities  

who  are  preparing  for  careers  in  service-­‐related  areas.    

Melvis,  a  member  of  the  Service  Program  Crew,  has  engaged  significantly  with  the  wider  community,  taking  on  leadership  of  MANOS,  a  Latino  youth  mentoring  program  with  Children  First/Communities  in  Schools.  He  plans  the  curriculum  and  leads  a  group  of  student  mentors  at  the  site  each  week.  He  was  integral  in  planning  the  campus  visit  of  journalist  and  immigration  activist  Jose  Antonio  Vargas.  Melvis  engaged  the  MANOS  participants  and  their  families  by  arranging  transportation  to  the  lecture  and  making  sure  the  event  was  accessible  to  all.  

 In  the  spring,  Melvis  co-­‐led  a  service  Break  Trip  to  Georgia  focusing  on  

immigration  issues.  He  and  his  co-­‐leader  coordinated  education  and  service  activities  and  facilitated  reflection  creating  a  space  to  explore  the  complexities  and  frustrations  of  immigration  policy  in  the  US.  To  lighten  the  mood,  he  also  led  

the  group  in  several  dance  parties  where  participants  became  relatively  proficient  in  salsa,  cumbia  and  the  merengue!  

 In  addition,  Melvis  has  spent  summers  as  an  interpreter  with  Mountain  Area  Health  Education  Center  providing  translation  for  Spanish  speaking  patients  at  

the  clinics  and  gaining  experience  for  a  career  in  medicine.    

Out  of  his  personal  lived  experience,  Melvis  engages  in  authentic  ways  and  you  can  see  his  connection  with  the  youth  that  interact  with  him.  His  commitment  emerges  from  a  place  deep  within  himself  and  I  am  certain  that  the  impact  of  his  

work  will  be  unfolding  in  the  lives  of  youth  and  families  for  years  to  come.  

Ben  Algeroy  &  Kyle  Crowder    

Presented  by  Emily  Fox  

It  is  a  pleasure  to  introduce  the  first  service  awards  presented  as  a  collaborative  pair.  Kyle  Crowder  and  Ben  Algeroy  have  worked  together  with  the  Warren  Wilson  Food  Not  Bombs  chapter  since  their  freshman  year,  and  have  co-­‐led  for  the  last  3  years.  

Food  Not  Bombs  is  a  national  organization  that  provides  free  meals  for  the  community  with  food  that  would  otherwise  be  sent  to  a  landfill.

I  was  touched  to  find  out  that  Kyle  and  Ben  nominated  each  other  for  this  award.  In  his  nomination  Ben  said  that  he  was  “proud  of  Kyle  for  being  such  a  huge  part  of  an  amazing  student  run  trip  that  has  such  a  legacy.”  Kyle,  in  his  nomination  of  Ben,  stated  that  he  “could  not  imagine  another  person  with  whom  [he]  would  want  to  

work.”

They  have  done  an  amazing  job  growing  the  movement  together.  As  someone  who  organizes  occasional  Saturday  service  trips,  I  can  attest  to  the  struggle  of  recruiting  students  for  Saturday  service.  Food  Not  Bombs  required  Ben  and  Kyle  to  spend  most  of  every  Saturday  for  the  last  four  years  picking  up  food  from  grocery  stores,  cooking  

the  food,  and  taking  it  downtown.  In  addition,  they  worked  to  continue  the  sustainability  of  Food  Not  Bombs,  even  advising  students  from  UNC  Asheville  about  starting  their  own  chapter.  Ben  took  his  food  security  interest  on  the  road  and  

explored  urban  agriculture  on  a  break  trip  to  NYC  as  a  freshman.

Both  Kyle  and  Ben  are  creatively  driven.  Kyle  is  an  accomplished  potter  and  worked  on  Blacksmithing  crew.  According  to  his  crew  boss,  Kyle  is  “a  joy  to  have  around.”  Some  of  Kyle’s  service  is  art  related.  In  addition,  Kyle  just  received  a  two-­‐year  

pottery  apprenticeship.  Ben’s  involvement  with  music  includes  being  in  a  band,  and  his  experience  on  Bike  Crew  probably  will  carry  over  into  his  endeavor  to  start  a  

bike  messenger  service  in  Asheville.

Kyle  was  noted  as  being  flexible  and  able  to  jump  in  when  something  needs  done,  and  Ben  was  described  to  me  as  a  quiet  organizer  of  what  his  adviser  Amy  Knisley  calls  “DIY  community.”  These  qualities  made  them  a  great  pair  for  Food  Not  Bombs.

“Dedicated”  was  a  word  that  came  up  with  almost  everyone  I  talked  to  about  Ben  and  Kyle,  and  they  both  deeply  care  about  the  individuals  around  them.  Their  work  

with  Food  Not  Bombs  demonstrates  their  focus  on  the  connection  between  environmental  protection  and  social  justice.  I  know  that  their  passion  and  dedication  

will  continue  to  make  the  world  a  better  place  in  all  their  future  endeavors.

Christina  Brown    

Presented  by  Sam  Stone

It’s  my  honor  to  introduce  Christina  Brown,  a  student  who  has  dedicated  much  of  her  time  at  Warren  Wilson  towards  addressing  issues  of  housing  and  

homelessness.  She  immersed  herself  in  this  issue  during  her  time  on  Rentals  and  Renovations  and  created  service  opportunities  where  her  crew  partnered  with  Asheville’s  Habitat  for  Humanity.  Her  supervisor,  Paul  Bobbitt,  says  “Christina  is  a  great  listener,  has  strong  communication  skills  and  excellent  follow-­‐through  

skills.”

Christina  also  did  a  summer  internship  with  Habitat.  Stephanie  Wallace,  the  Volunteer  Coordinator  for  Habitat  wrote  in  her  evaluation  that  “Christina  showed  amazing  initiation  during  her  time  with  us.  She  was  always  on  time,  

never  called  in  or  worked  at  less  than  her  max  capacity.  I  feel  like  in  the  short  8  weeks,  she  gave  110%  every  day!”

Additionally,  Christina  integrated  service  into  her  academics  as  a  Global  Studies  major.  For  example,  David  Abernathy,  her  advisor,  told  me  that  Christina  applied  her  knowledge  from  her  classes  by  helping  Habitat  identify  good  places  to  build  

houses  based  on  her  knowledge  of  the  region.

Christina  continued  to  demonstrate  leadership  by  taking  a  group  of  students  to  Detroit  in  the  Fall  2014.  She  organized  this  trip  by  making  networks  in  the  

Detroit  area,  arranging  opportunities  to  do  service,  and  by  coordinating  logistics.  Lia  Kaz  who  went  on  the  break  trip  describes  Christina  as  being  “a  collaborative  decision  maker  that  incorporates  voices  of  the  whole  group  without  getting  

weighed  down  by  the  process.”

I’m  amazed  by  your  ability  to  weave  service  all  across  the  triad  and  also  by  your  commitment  to  service  past  graduation.  Christina  will  be  continuing  on  with  

Habitat  as  a  construction  leader  for  the  organization.

Congratulations  on  being  the  recipient  of  this  award.

Claire  Doemland    

Presented  by  Tayla  Clark  

If  we  are  fortunate  in  life,  we  will  meet  someone  whose  brilliance  illuminates  our  lives  and  continues  to  inspire  us  long  after  we  have  parted  ways.  There  are  some  here  at  Warren  Wilson  who  have  been  this  fortunate,  and  those  are  the  people  

who  have  been  able  to  meet  and  connect  with  Claire  Doemland.

Her  advisor,  Mallory  McDuff,  believes  that  Claire’s  “gift  to  the  world  is  that  she  has  chosen  to  share  her  intellectual  aptitude  with  others  through  the  field  of  education.”  During  her  time  here,  Claire  completed  her  service  primarily  with  youth.  She  worked  with  the  Kids  on  Campus  program  for  two  consecutive  years.  Also,  she  interned  with  an  organization  called  the  Breakthrough  Collaborative,  which  works  with  underserved  high  school  students  in  order  to  increase  

academic  opportunities  for  them  and  help  them  build  a  path  towards  a  college  education.  Annie  Jonas  taught  Claire  in  three  different  Service  Learning  Courses,  and  she  says  that  she  will  remember  Claire  “for  her  commitment  to  learning  and  

her  innate  drive  to  make  her  teaching  meaningful  and  engaging.”

I  spoke  with  several  people  in  order  to  prepare  this  speech,  and  each  and  every  one  of  them  had  so  much  to  say  about  Claire.  It  was  obvious  to  me  that  Claire  has  

made  a  lasting  impact  on  the  people  around  her  with  her  intelligence,  her  passion,  her  friendly  and  engaging  personality,  and  her  ability  to  positively  

influence  the  lives  of  others.  Claire’s  advisor  stated  that,  “To  say  Claire  is  bright  is  an  understatement.”  Her  service  and  academic  achievements  will  continue  as  she  will  be  moving  on  to  study  at  the  graduate  school  of  Education  at  Harvard,  a  fact  that  her  work  supervisor  Andrew  Pulsifer  says  proves  just  how  brilliant  Claire  is,  

because,  as  he  mentions,  Harvard  does  not  accept  just  anyone.

Deanna  Dragan    

Presented  by  Austin  Fust  

I’m  honored  to  present  a  service  award  to  a  senior  who  has  lit  the  path  for  myself  and  many  other  students  to  follow  in  her  footsteps.  Though  it  might  actually  be  

easier  to  write  a  full-­‐length  novel  about  her  commitment  to  community  engagement,  I’ll  try  to  condense  the  tremendous  work  of  Deanna  Dragan  into  this  

short  speech.

Deanna  is  the  perfect  example  of  how  to  successfully  embody  the  triad,  the  Warren  Wilson  way,  by  creating  mutually  beneficial  relationships  between  

academics,  work  and  service.  She  has  been  a  fearless  leader  in  the  Service  and  Bonner  High  Impact  programs,  conquered  the  psychology  program,  and  guided  countless  students  through  meaningful  community  engagement  opportunities  in  her  work  time.  Deanna’s  academic  advisor,  Bob  Swoap,  sang  her  praise  in  saying  “I  have  not  encountered  a  more  motivated  and  engaged  campus  leader.  She  

inspires  others  –  not  in  a  loud,  ‘look  at  me  as  your  leader’  way  –  but  in  a  way  in  which  she  quietly  demonstrates  how  to  be  (and  stay)  fully  engaged  with  one’s  

goals.”

As  a  pioneer  in  the  field  of  health-­‐related  service,  Deanna  has  run  blood  drives  and  bone  marrow  collection  events  and  has  spent  countless  hours  at  Black  

Mountain  Neuro-­‐Medical  Treatment  Center.  By  singing  to  residents,  leading  trips  for  student  engagement,  and  facilitating  issues  workshops  about  dementia  and  the  power  of  music  on  the  aging  brain,  she  has  made  service  appealing  and  

productive,  in  the  words  of  Volunteer  Coordinator  Brenda  Ross.  Along  with  her  community-­‐based  research  on  caregivers,  she  has  intrinsically  tied  her  service  to  her  career  path  in  Gerontology,  a  field  to  which  she  will  bring  positive  change.

Though  I’ve  only  scratched  the  surface,  I  hope  you  see  Deanna’s  profound  positive  impact  that  is  surely  only  beginning.  I’m  am  honored  to  have  been  able  to  shadow  Deanna  in  our  overlapping  time  here,  and  I  promise  (as  your  “not-­‐

related-­‐to-­‐you”  legacy,  as  we  joke)  I  will  do  my  best  to  fill  your  big,  giant  Warren  Wilson  shoes.  Congratulations,  Deanna!

Lia  Kaz    

Presented  by  Melvis  Madrigal  

Lia  is  someone  with  a  very  deep  passion,  commitment,  and  belief  in  the  concepts  of  equality  and  justice.  She  not  only  wants  to  identify  and  confront  all  forms  of  oppression,  but  after  becoming  aware  of  an  issue  she  immediately  wants  to  jump  in  and  take  full  action.  Her  service  truly  embodies  what  she  believes  in,  because  when  Lia  says  that  she  stands  up  for  something,  she  certainly  stands,  and  is  even  described  as  a  “mover  and  shaker”  by  those  around  her.  She  often  takes  initiative  and  is  capable  of  converting  broad  scale  discussions  into  direct  actions,  a  trait  best  demonstrated  through  her  efforts  to  lead  and  organize  a  school  trip  to  Ferguson,  Missouri  after  traveling  there  with  Professor  Rima  Vesely-­‐Flad  in  

support  of  the  “Black  Lives  Matter”  movement.

Lia  also  has  the  ability  to  draw  connections  and  relate  her  service  back  into  the  community.  "Showing  Up:  With  White  Identity  for  Racial  Justice,"  is  a  student  group  on  campus  that  she  cofounded  and  lead  for  white-­‐identifying  individuals  to  engage  in  racial  justice  work.  The  group  is  an  example  of  her  self-­‐reflective  attitude,  one  that  often  leads  her  to  frequently  assess  her  character  and  

recognize  opportunities  for  growth.  Lia  is  also  incredibly  courageous,  driven,  and  pertinacious,  to  the  point  that  even  after  she  has  fulfilled  all  of  her  initial  

commitments  she  remains  engaged  with  the  community.  Such  qualities  can  be  perceived  through  the  development  of  her  Bonner  internship  with  Cooper  Riis  

into  what  later  became  a  part-­‐time  job  during  college.

Additionally,  Lia  is  also  capable  of  thriving  within  various  and  distinct  levels  of  service;  she  often  works  directly  with  people,  local  community  partners,  and  national  movements.  Her  social  work  internship  with  Spirit  in  Action,  an  organization  largely  based  on  the  promotion  of  democratic  engagement,  

consisted  of  researching  ways  to  reduce  the  voter  barriers  within  North  Carolina.  Through  her  service  as  a  Big  Sister  in  Burton  Street’s  mentoring  program,  she  

not  only  inspired  the  youth  but  also  encouraged  other  Wilson  students  to  engage  with  the  program,  and  brought  the  program  to  a  much  deeper  commitment.  Obviously,  service  is  not  simply  service  for  her,  but  rather  a  way  of  life.

Felicidades  Lia,  ¡Te  mereces  esto  y  aun  más!

Ana  Lara  

Presented  by  Jasmine  Woo

I  don’t  remember  how  I  first  met  the  next  recipient.  One  word  to  describe  her  is  radical:  to  favor  drastic  political,  economic,  or  social  reforms.  However,  she  is  also  great  at  creating  safe  spaces  where  people  can  participate  in  dialogue.

At  Warren  Wilson,  Ana  Lara  has  had  a  positive  impact  on  many  people.  Kathryn  Burleson,  her  advisor  says,  “She  is  a  miracle  made  up  of  particles.”  Another  advisor,  Siti  Kusujiarti  says,  she  is  “Amazing  with  people  across  generations,  

cultures,  and  different  walks  of  life.”  Her  friends  say,  “...her  best  work  comes  out  of  anger,  fire,  which  inspires  her  to  organize  hugely  successful  events  that  have  

long  lasting  effects.”  For  example,  working  with  the  Latino  community  in  Asheville  around  farmer  worker’s  rights  and  organizing  activist  events  on  

campus.

Her  engagement  in  the  community  is  expansive  from  the  local,  Warren  Wilson  and  Asheville  community  to  the  national  and  global  level.  She  has  been  a  student  leader  with  WHOLA  and  Engage.  She  co-­‐facilitated  an  issue  workshop  at  Shiloh  Community  Garden  and  trained  to  be  a  Rape  Crisis  advocate  for  Our  Voice.  Nationally,  she  participated  in  the  Black  Lives  Matter  Movement,  going  to  Ferguson,  MO  to  engage  herself  in  the  conversation  and  brought  it  back  to  campus.  Last  summer,  she  interned  in  Brazil  for  an  organization  called  

Foundation  of  Research  and  Support  for  the  State  of  Amapa.

To  end,  I  will  share  a  quote  from  Ana’s  blog  of  her  time  in  Brazil,  “Before  my  hands  get  to  work,  my  heart  &  mind  need  to  be  in  understanding  of  the  work  needing  to  be  done.  I  am  allowing  nature  and  time  to  show  me  how  it  is  that  my  

hands,  body  &  spirit  can  be  of  help  to  the  communities  around  me.”  Congratulations,  Ana!

Julia  Lehr  Speech    

Presented  by  Jada  Sheeler  

Today  I  am  here  to  talk  about  an  amazing  young  woman  who  has  truly  taken  her  Triad  experience  to  a  whole  new  level.  She  has  been  described  by  her  peers  and  mentors  as  a  tireless  worker,  a  natural  leader,  and  a  dedicated  friend.  I  am  talking,  of  course,  about  none  other  than  the  extraordinary  Julia  Lehr.

Whether  she  is  leading  a  service  trip,  presenting  her  research,  or  climbing  a  mountain,  Julia  brings  her  endless  passion  and  unrelenting  drive  to  everything  that  she  does.  Her  exemplary  service  career  began  in  her  freshman  year  while  she  explored  a  wide  variety  of  volunteering  opportunities  from  working  in  

community  gardens  to  exploring  topics  of  health.  Then  in  her  sophomore  year  Julia  went  on  a  service  trip  to  the  Pine  Ridge  reservation  in  South  Dakota.  This  experience  ignited  her  passion  for  intercultural  service  and  understanding.  Upon  

her  return  she  changed  her  academic  focus  to  an  Integrative  Studies  major  focusing  on  intercultural  service  learning.  Every  course  required  for  her  major  was  chosen  to  strengthen  her  leadership  and  service  skills.  Where  courses  didn’t  

exist,  she  developed  independent  studies  to  explore  service  learning  philosophies  and  reflection  techniques.  She  served  a  summer  long  internship  with  the  non-­‐profit  Conscious  Alliance,  and  began  to  plan  her  own  break  trip  to  lead  students  to  Pine  Ridge  who  otherwise  wouldn’t  have  had  the  opportunity.  

This  massive  break  trip  took  countless  hours  of  planning,  training,  and  preparing.  Yet,  no  matter  how  many  hurdles  and  challenges  stood  in  her  way,  Julia  faced  them  with  her  signature  grace  and  patience.  Earlier  this  year  Julia  took  yet  another  step  above  and  beyond  when  she  took  an  amazing  journey  studying  abroad  in  Mexico  to  further  expand  her  cultural  competency  and  

service  skills.

I  wish  that  I  could  go  into  more  detail  about  Julia’s  service  accomplishments,  her  diligent  work  ethic,  or  the  way  that  she  seems  to  light  up  every  room  that  she  walks  into,  but  if  you’ve  met  Julia,  you  know  that  I  have  only  touched  the  tip  of  the  massive  iceberg  of  her  accomplishments  at  Wilson.  On  behalf  of  the  entire  Service  Program  Office,  congratulations,  we  could  not  be  more  proud  of  you!

De’Andrea  Lottier    

Presented  by  Patrick  Downing

The  thing  that  stands  out  to  me  about  De’Andrea  Lottier  is  her  considerate  nature  and  her  sense  of  humor.  With  these  two  facets  in  mind  it  is  also  important  

to  note  that  D,  as  Candace  Taylor  explains,  “is  a  force  to  be  reckoned  with.”

In  her  time  at  Warren  Wilson  D  took  Service-­‐Learning  classes,  mentored  youth  weekly  with  MANOS  and  Burton  St.  Community  Center,  and  organized  an  issue  area  workshop  to  the  Shiloh  Community  Garden.  D  does  direct  service  AND  reflection.  She  reflects  critically  with  her  volunteers  connecting  service  to  

systems  in  society.

D  reflects  in  the  Buncombe  County  community  and  on  campus.  D’s  professor  Melissa  Blair  explains,  “De’Andrea  works  to  make  her  fellow  students  aware  of  the  impact  of  their  words  and  gets  them  to  think  more  critically.”  D  connects  her  classroom  learning  to  service.  Reflecting  on  her  service  with  Hind’s  Feet  Farm,  D  states:  "My  experience  (with  HFF)  has  reinforced  the  importance  of  engaging  in  

the  world  with  curiosity,  boldness,  and  a  positive  presence."

One  of  her  mentors  on  campus,  Lorrie  Jayne,  says  D  is  “fearless”  “telling  the  truth  about  how  things  are”  and  what  should  be  changed.  One  of  her  good  friends,  Ana,  adds  that  D  does  not  only  speak  the  truth  but  goes  out  of  her  way  to  make  sure  

all  students  are  advocated  for,  whether  on  the  service  site,  facilitating  discussions,  or  through  opening  her  home.

De’Andrea  sees  the  world  both  as  it  is  and  how  it  could  be,  she  understands  the  struggle  and  the  joy  in  the  struggle.  De’Andrea,  your  award...

Peter  Simmons    

Presented  by  Stephanie  Menjivar  

Peter  Simmons  has  been  described  as  hardworking,  humble,  capable,  humorous,  and  relaxed.  Peter  has  engaged  and  been  dedicated  to  service  during  his  time  at  Wilson  across  the  triad.  He  took  a  Service-­‐Learning  course  in  Plant  Physiology.  He  served  with  the  Forestry  Crew  to  maintain  ecosystems.  He  led  a  break  trip  to  Detroit  focusing  on  urban  gardening  and  interned  with  a  community  garden.  This  range  of  service  has  shown  an  understanding  of  what  service  means  in  

education  and  life.

Though  Peter  has  spent  a  tremendous  amount  of  time  working  with  issues  of  environment  and  food  security,  the  most  impactful  service  he  describes  in  his  Extended  Service  Project,  was  as  a  Big  Brother  with  Kids  on  Campus.  Over  the  three  years  with  the  same  "little",  he  watched  him  grow  into  a  more  patient  and  thoughtful  leader.  A  quote  from  Peter  himself,  “It  is  entirely  likely  that  my  

participation  in  Kids  on  Campus  helped  me  to  do  better  in  the  other  aspects  of  my  life,  and  I  don’t  think  that  it’s  too  much  of  a  stretch  to  suggest  that  it  helped  

me  get  through  school."

While  studying  abroad  in  Indonesia,  he  worked  with  a  group  not  only  to  collect  data  underwater  on  coral  reef  health,  but  to  interview  the  people  on  how  

conservation  efforts  affected  their  lives.  The  professor  of  this  class,  as  well  as  Peter's  advisor,  was  Paul  Bartels.  "One  thing  I  appreciate  about  Peter  is  that  he  stays  positive.  He  never  sees  work  as  a  hardship  or  as  negative.  He  sees  the  silver  lining.  And  it's  not  fake!  In  a  group  setting,  like  in  Indonesia,  his  positive  attitude  

was  infectious."

We  thank  Peter  Simmons  for  contributing  so  much  not  only  to  the  Triad,  but  to  the  community  beyond  Warren  Wilson  College.

Tykara  “T.K.”  Young    

Presented  by  Brian  Wuertz

Everyone  who  I  have  asked  about  T.K.  has  done  the  same  thing.  Before  they  answer  my  question  they  stop  and  smile.  These  smiles  are  just  some  of  the  immeasurable  aspects  of  the  lasting  impact  T.K.  has  had  on  our  community  throughout  her  time  at  Wilson.  Each  and  every  person  I  asked  about  T.K.  said  some  of  the  same  things  up  front.  Both  her  current  supervisor,  Maura  Davis,  and  her  previous  supervisor,  Pat  Tuttle,  emphasized  her  focus  and  professionalism  in  

her  work  at  the  Verner  Learning  Center,  which  is  a  head  start  program  for  preschool  children.  Her  fellow  teacher  at  Verner,  Katie  Hoerman,  describes  it  by  saying,  “  I  instantly  feel  a  sense  of  relief  when  T.K.  comes  in  to  the  room-­‐she  is  like  my  right  hand.”  When  something  goes  wrong  in  the  classroom  T.K  reminds  her  that,  “at  least  it  was  only  spoons.”  Here  are  a  couple  of  quotes  from  the  

children  at  the  Verner  Learning  Center:  "Ms.  T.K.  gonna  be  my  best  friend"  and  “Miss  T.K.  does  cool  stuff.”

T.K.  grew  up  here  in  the  Swannanoa  Valley.  In  her  extended  service  project  T.K.  wrote,  “I  cared  about  working  within  the  community  that  raised  me.”  T.K.  has  played  an  active  role  in  advocating  for  social  justice  in  our  community  through  racial  justice  work  and  Spirit  and  Action,  a  listening  project  in  which  social  work  students  interviewed  community  members  to  identify  needs.  She  went  from  

being  a  little  sister  in  the  Big  Brother  Big  Sister  program  to  mentoring  two  little  sisters  during  her  time  at  Warren  Wilson.  T.K.'s  advisor  and  social  work  

professor  Becki  Hornung  says  that  T.K.  is  a  “teacher  in  her  soul.”

T.K.  makes  such  a  strong  teacher  because  she  is  willing  to  ask  the  hard  questions.  Her  teachers  say  that  T.K.  challenges  them  to  think  more  deeply  about  the  field  of  social  work  in  general.  Her  professors  and  supervisors  are  excited  to  see  how  T.K.  is  going  to  make  lasting  change  in  a  social  work  profession.  T.K.'s  profound  commitment  to  social  justice  combined  with  the  teacher  in  her  soul  makes  her  a  

powerful  force  to  reckon  with.