Messiah College News Archive

Campus Compact has named 181 student leaders who have demonstrated an investment in finding solutions for challenges facing communities throughout the country as 2013 Newman Civic Fellows—including Messiah’s own Lauren Fisher `14. Nominated by their college and university presidents, these students are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves, the root causes of social issues and effective mechanisms for creating lasting change.

Fisher was recognized for being deeply involved in the social issues of urban education. Her long-term dedication is to Abba’s Place, an after-school program in the heart of Harrisburg, PA. Her passion for urban education extends beyond the classroom to the national and international service trips she’s led that focus on minority ethnic groups. Back on campus, Lauren advocates her passions by working as a tutoring and literacy outreach coordinator for local service as well as living and serving with the Social Justice House.

The Corporation for National and Community Service has named Messiah College to its 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. The Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. Selection to the Honor Roll is recognition from the highest levels of the federal government for service and civic engagement commitments.

In 2012, an estimated 98 percent of the graduating class participated in some form of community service through the College’s Agape Center for Service and Learning.

Jay McDermond, professor of Christian ministry and spirituality, recently received the Frey Service Award from Paxton Ministries, a Christian non-profit community of homes serving adults who may be challenged with social, mental or emotional needs.

The Frey Service Award is an annual award given to individuals who are recognized for “consistently demonstrating a Christ-centered life, a sacrificial spirit, a heart of compassion, and a history of service over time.” McDermond and his son have been serving and cleaning up Sunday morning breakfast at Paxton Ministries since 2008.

Katie Todd `13 is one of 162 students selected as a 2012 Newman Civic Fellow, an award recognizing inspiring college student leaders who have worked to find solutions for challenges facing their communities.

Todd is passionate about environmental justice. She volunteers weekly at an urban farm in Harrisburg. She also works with the Agape Center for Service and Learning as the Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator, connecting volunteers with opportunities to serve in local organizations related to food distribution, gardening, and advocacy.

As a Newman Civic Fellow, Todd will join a network of Fellows around the country. Together — sharing ideas and tools through online networking — the Fellows will leverage an even greater capacity for service and change, and will continue to set examples for their classmates and others. 
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On Feb. 7 the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, the Department of Education, and the Corporation for National and Community Service hosted a series of roundtables exploring partnership opportunities and the role of faith-based organizations in turning around the lowest performing schools.

Chad Frey, director of Messiah College’s Agape Center for Service and Learning, student Hope Hess, and Sybil Knight-Burney, superintendent of Harrisburg School District were invited to lead a roundtable discussion about how to use volunteer students to build community capacity in support of schools and to talk about the possibilities for recruiting faith-based colleges to develop programs with this purpose.

For the second year in a row, Messiah College has been named to Washington Monthly’s top ten list of colleges and universities for hours spent in community service, service-oriented scholarships, and graduates entering the Peace Corps. With this criteria, Messiah ranked sixth nationwide among baccalaureate colleges.

GRANTHAM, Pa. (Aug. 10, 2011) — On Aug. 3, Messiah College joined representatives from 195 higher education institutions nationwide in Washington D.C. for the launch of the Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, an initiative of President Barack Obama to mobilize college students of diverse religious backgrounds for community service. Read the rest of this entry »

 Members of the Class of 2011 set a goal of raising $7,002 (which is the reverse of the year they started at Messiah College: 2007) to fund a restoration project on the Yellow Breeches Creek. More than 68% of seniors gave a total of $7,065.18 to the cause. This makes them the most generous class in College history in both categories of dollar amount and participation! 

The senior gift will be used to build a deflector downstream of Messiah’s beloved covered bridge. The deflector will function as a deterrent for erosion but also as a put-in and take-out spot for water recreation. These efforts are a part of a larger Yellow Breeches Restoration Project directed by David Foster, associate professor of biology and environmental science, and will begin this summer. 

Though erosion of the Breeches’ banks has been an issue for years, this gift couldn’t come at a more convenient time. A record setting rainfall this spring has caused the Breeches to flood more than usual. The overall restoration efforts intend to counteract flooding and other causes of erosion to preserve the Breeches for years to come.

 This is the third year that Messiah’s senior class has raised funds to further a sustainability project either locally or abroad.

You can read more about Foster’s overall plans for the restoration project as described in a recent Swinging Bridge article.

GRANTHAM, Pa. (May 23, 2011) — Messiah College has been named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, a distinction recognizing institutions of higher education for their support of volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement. Read the rest of this entry »

 Student Joshua Matthews won first place for his essay – “Finding Purpose”—in the 7^th Annual Be the Star You Are! essay contest sponsored by US Bank. The winning essay can be read at www.bethestaryouare.org/Read/Contest.html.

Students Alison French, Sarah Leonard, Brenna Stewart, and Kaitlin King were each recognized with honorable mentions for the essays they submitted to the national essay contest sponsored by Be the Star You Are, an organization committed to empowering women, families, and youth-at-risk through improved literacy and positive media.

All awardees were students in Jenell Paris’ Intro to Anthology course and wrote about the service-learning experiences.