-----------1992 Winners-----------
A true Renaissance woman, student volunteer, Leah Ilena Gioe', founded the first student-run community service program, The Volunteer's Club, at Nova College (now Nova Southeastern University), played on the volleyball team and won Nova's Scholar Award for two consecutive years. In 1991, she received a Florida Campus Volunteer Innovative Grant from FOCV to support The Volunteer's Club. Leah's commitment to service also included involvement in Big Brothers Big Sisters, local food drives and a "Hi-Way Holdup" fundraiser for juvenile diabetes research. In addition, she also was crowned Homecoming Queen and elected to the campus Inter-organizational Council. In her spare time, Leah served as editor-in-chief of the campus yearbook. |
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LEAH
on SERVICE I left with a smile, thinking I had made a difference. The more I reflected on my visit, I wondered, "How many other residents are lonely and just need a hug?" and "What if ten students came with me the next time I visited?" From that day on, I began to organize trips to Meridian Nursing Home for other student volunteers. On our first group trip, we brought the residents daisies donated by a local florist. During the holidays, we made ornaments, decorated a Christmas tree and sang carols. On Valentine's Day, we wrote and delivered personal cards to each resident. The trips were so successful; I wondered again, "How many more Nova students would be interested in making a difference in their community? What if instead of ten students, twenty or even thirty joined us?" The next fall, I began proceedings to create a Volunteers Club. I was overjoyed with the response from the community and the students. For every event I organized, there were more than twenty volunteers in attendance, and their enthusiasm was outstanding. That November, I wrote and applied for a grant from the Florida Office of Campus Volunteers (FOCV). In January, I happily received another $500 from FOCV to continue and expand the Volunteers Club at Nova." *** While a student at Florida International University (FIU), Pe'dro Jaile, served as the director of Community Events and Volunteer Services. He increased student volunteerism by implementing a funding requirement of 10 volunteer-hours per campus organization. A champion of civil rights, Pe'dro founded and chaired both the Gay and Lesbian Student Union and Student Volunteers Against AIDS. He also served on FIU's affirmative action committee and was a member of the board for the University Equal Rights Committee. Pe'dro also published articles in regional magazines and directed an internationally recognized art gallery. In 1992, he received a Florida Campus Volunteer Innovative Grant from FOCV. Believing that students should play an active role in the community, Bahamas native, Sean Lightbourne founded the Brevard Community College (BCC) chapter of the Rotaract Club. He also served as director of BCC's African-American Club. Sean's community service involvement included participation in Big Brothers Big Sisters, Partners In Progress mentor program and the Disabled Society of Cocoa. Additionally, Sean served as Vice-President of the Student Campus Council, Freshman Class Representative, manager of BCC's basketball team and earned a place on the Dean's List. |