Chicago Resident Cynthia Velasquez Receives Dominican's Rising Star Award

RIVER FOREST, IL (05/03/2011)(readMedia)-- Cynthia Velasquez, a resident of Chicago, was honored with Dominican University's Rising Star Award, presented each year to students demonstrating true Dominican spirit through service activities on and off campus.

Velasquez has served as a Community and Outreach Core Leader for the university's Student Leadership and Ministry Team (SLAM), in which student leaders prepare campus ministry programs. She has served as the Spring Fling chair of the Campus Activities Board, a commuter assistant, Kairos Retreat and youth group retreat reader, an emerging leader, summer orientation leader (TORCH), and as a peer advisor. She has also served with KEEN, working with kids who live with disabilities, and the Van Outreach Program, a partnership with The Night Ministry that provides food and hospitality to those experiencing homelessness.

Founded in 1901, Dominican University is a comprehensive, coeducational Catholic institution offering bachelor's degrees through the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences and master's degrees through the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, the Brennan School of Business, the School of Education, and the Graduate School of Social Work. The university also offers a doctoral degree in library and information science. In the 2011 issue of America's Best Colleges, U.S. News & World Report ranked Dominican University in the top 20 of Midwest master's level universities. The magazine also ranked Dominican as one of three Great Schools at a Great Price in Illinois.