BVU STUDENTS RECEIVE 2018 GOVERNOR'S VOLUNTEER AWARDS

Related Media

From left: BVU student Amanda Miley, Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, and Dr. Ashley Farmer-Hanson.

STORM LAKE, IA (07/16/2018) (readMedia)-- Twenty-seven Buena Vista University (BVU) students and the BVU football team were honored at the 2018 Governor's Volunteer Awards ceremony held July 16 on the BVU campus.

Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg attended the event, and more than 65 individuals and organizations from northwest Iowa received awards at the ceremony in Storm Lake, which was one of five awards programs being held across Iowa this summer.

The individual BVU students were nominated by Dr. Ashley Farmer-Hanson, interim vice president of student affairs and dean of students at BVU, who also serves as a member of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service's Program Development Committee. BVU's award recipients have been involved in a variety of volunteer organizations and activities, including BV Buddies, an organization in which students serve as mentors to local middle school students; Student MOVE, which coordinates service programs and events that focus on direct service, education, and reflection; and Iowa College AmeriCorps, a federal program that students apply to be a part of that meets local community needs by volunteering 300 or 450 hours of service during an academic year.

"The Governor's Volunteer Awards ceremony is a major recognition event for Iowa," said Sarah Callihan, AmeriCorps civic engagement coordinator at BVU. "Over 5,000 people were nominated and 27 BVU students, as well as the BVU football team, were chosen to receive an award. To be recognized for volunteerism at this level is a major accomplishment and a matter of pride both for yourself and for the community in which you served."

The students who received awards are:

• Cristena Heschke, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in elementary education from Alta.

• Sydney Berends, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in history education from Roland.

• Kevin Blaha-Polson, a senior exercise science – human performance major from Algona.

• Haylie Book, a senior educational studies major from Earlham.

• Jacob Braddock a recent BVU graduate with a degree in biology from Swea City.

• Brooke Hansen, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in business from Griswold.

• Tayler Hull, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in criminology and criminal justice from North Liberty.

• David Jeffries, a senior business major from North Las Vegas, Nev.

• Adam Juhl, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in math education from Harlan.

• Rosalind Russell, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in sustainable development from Rochester, Minn.

• Tawney Schreier, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in strategic public relations from Storm Lake.

• Steven Smith, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in history from Blairsburg.

• Taylor Wieland, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in art and Spanish from Perry.

• Thomas Wisecup, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in chemistry from Sergeant Bluff.

• Grant Wright, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in business and accounting from Norwalk.

• Jeanne Bramhall, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in exercise science – human performance from Papillion, Neb.

• Jasmine Demers, a senior educational studies major from Storm Lake.

• Alexandra Wahlert, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in business from Bondurant.

• Taylor Loy, a senior political science major from and Spanish double major from Indianola.

• Eden Keller, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in social work from Cherokee.

• Jacob Jensen, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in business from Badger.

• Juanita Mondragon, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in social work from Newell.

• Mackensey Radke, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in elementary education from Sheldon.

• Mariah Trettin, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in elementary education from Ionia.

• Savannah Weed, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in elementary education from Charter Oak.

• Susan Letsch, a senior social work and criminology/criminal justice double major from Le Mars.

• Taylor Prather, a recent BVU graduate with a degree in social work from Clarinda.

The BVU football team also received a group award for 20 years of continuous service with the Iowa Department of Transportation's Adopt-A-Highway Program.

The Governor's Volunteer Award program, which is coordinated by Volunteer Iowa and is in its 35th year, recognizes the dedicated people who volunteer their time and talent to help fulfill the missions of Iowa nonprofits, charitable organizations, and government entities. The program provides an easy way for these organizations to honor their volunteers with a prestigious, state-level award.

More than 500 awards are being presented this year during ceremonies held at several locations around the state. It is estimated that more than 20,000 hours of service, with an economic impact of nearly $500,000, were served by this year's honorees during the past twelve months.

For more information, visit www.volunteeriowa.org/awards.

About Buena Vista University

Since 1891, Buena Vista University has prepared students for lifelong success and blends liberal arts with real-world applications. Our traditional campus on the shores of Storm Lake hosts students in a variety of majors and pre-professional programs, including elementary, secondary, and special education; business and accounting; and biological and chemical sciences. Our 16 degree-completion locations, online, and graduate programs expand student potential with a pace and academic rigor designed for working adults and a variety of class formats that make scheduling even more convenient. With an average scholarship of more than 50 percent off of tuition, BVU is an affordable option for all students. Visit www.bvu.edu.

About Volunteer Iowa (Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service)

Volunteer Iowa and its partner agencies work with organizations and individuals on three main fronts. The first is to help agencies develop quality programs that use service as a strategy to fulfill their missions and address Iowa's greatest areas of need. The second is to help engage Iowans in their communities by promoting service and expanding the volunteer base. Finally, the third area of work is to connect individuals with appropriate service opportunities by building the volunteer infrastructure. More information is available at volunteeriowa.org.

###