COMMENTS (2)

Outstanding ECU student volunteers

mixer

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

While some students enjoyed sleeping in on Fall Break Oct. 15-16, nine East Carolina University students were up early assisting Habitat For Humanity in Durham and the Food Bank of Eastern North Carolina that Monday and Tuesday.

Those students are just a handful of those that make volunteerism part of their extracurricular activities.

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center at ECU staff Shawn Moore, Jessica GagneCloutier and Michael Loeffelman work with students everyday placing them with organizations in need of assistance.

It often starts as extra credit and becomes a passion for the student,” Loeffelman said.

Indeed it does, the three ECU staffers spoke about five exemplary students who have truly made a difference not only in our community but throughout the state, other disaster stricken states, and even abroad.

Katherine Burley was just nominated for Community Impact Student award through the North Carolina Campus Compact. The award is given to students across the state who are engaged in their community.

Kim Scott is currently running in ECU Reads program, a senior, was a tutoring for emerging students.

Devang Patel and Ankit Zalavadia both have accumulated more than 200 volunteer hours at Pitt County Memorial Hospital.

Scott Councilman and Burley started a very popular after-school program called Pirate Playtime. Councilman received the Community Impact Student award in 2008. He is also the founder of STARS, operating in Lee County, provides positive attention and discipline to youth through physical education and participation in organized sports.

Name: Katherine Burley from Exton, Pa.

Age: 21

Majors: Child Life and Recreational Therapy

Volunteerism: Currently volunteering at the Rocking Horse Ranch: Therapeutic Riding Program working with clients and therapists to increase abilities through interventions with horses.

In the past, I've worked at Pitt County Memorial Hospital as a Children's Hospital volunteer in the FOCUS program as a member 2006-2007, a leader 2007-2008, a student coordinator 2008-2009 and donated 300 hours 2008-2009 as coordinator and received an education award through AmeriCorps.

Also, Stafford Glen Assisted Living, Habitat for Humanity, Pirate Playtime, MLK Day Challenge, Million Meals, Camp Rainbow, Camp WholeHeart, Ronald McDonald House, Service Chair of Phi Sigma Pi National Co-Ed Honor Fraternity.

Taught English in Costa Rica for two weeks during the summer 2006.

Worked in orphanages in Ghana, West Africa, for two months in summer 2008.

Future plans: I'm moving to Colorado in January to complete a dual internship in Child Life and Recreational Therapy at The Children's Hospital. After that I'm hoping to move to Africa to do non-profit work.

One day I hope to start my own international non-profit organization dedicated to educating care-givers and securing resources to allow institutionalized children to thrive in a supportive, least-restrictive, optimal environment.

Name: Scott Councilman from Broadway

Age: 21

Major: Phyiscal Education

Volunteerism: As a volunteer with the ECU Volunteer and Service Learning Center and a Physical Education major, I started the Pirate Playtime Program.

This is a student-led program that takes ECU volunteers to various after school programs in Greenville and facilitates games and activities for the attending children. The program is important to promote good health and exercise and a good way to have fun.

I also participate in the programs supported by the ECU VSLC such as Pirate Playtime, Pirate Bounty, Pirate Plunge, Red Cross blood drives and Pirate Palooza.

As a teenager, I volunteered with the Lee County YMCA, Boy Scout Troop 953 and the Wayside Presbyterian Youth Program (STARS).

Future plans: I will graduate from ECU with a major in Physical Education, pursue a career in teaching and continue to volunteer in the community.

Name: Devang Patel, originally from India and has lived in Apex for last 10 years

Age: 21

Major: Biology with Business, Administration minor