Amy, McGuire, EcoStewards Club receive 2010 Harry E. Gardner Service Award
Waynesburg University announced the recipients of the Harry E. Gardner Service Awards during the University’s chapel service Tuesday, April 13. Each year, the University selects a student and an organization that exemplify the spirit of service. This year, two individuals and one organization received the award. The 2010 recipients are Tyler Amy, Heather McGuire and the Waynesburg University EcoStewards Club.
Amy, a senior communication (public relations) major from Corry, Pa., was selected for his individual commitment to service. Amy has served a number of organizations and ministries including The Pittsburgh Project, Cross Roads Youth Ministry, Habitat for Humanity, and Pine Springs Camp, among others. Tyler has participated in mission service trips to Philadelphia, Pa., Jackson, Miss., and served as a co-leader on Pine Ridge Reservation trip to South Dakota with the youth group of the First Presbyterian Church of Waynesburg.
In the fall of 2009, Amy studied in New Zealand as part of the Creation Care Study Program. This experience allowed him to examine global issues from a Christian perspective. This opportunity afforded Amy the chance to more clearly understand the relationship between God the Creator, those He created in His image and the rest of creation.
Amy was nominated by Beth Merry, lecturer in communication at Waynesburg University. Her nomination read, “Tyler seems to think of others before he thinks of himself. He has realized how his faith impacts his daily life. He has developed into a strong young man who is dedicated to serving God and others.”
Tyler hopes to return to New Zealand upon graduation to continue his work with the Creation Care Study Program.
Heather McGuire, a senior human services (education option) major from Pittsburgh, Pa., was selected for her passion and commitment to service. McGuire found her calling with Kids Café located in West Waynesburg. McGuire serves as the site leader, provides holistic tutoring and prepares meals three days per week for the children. She has built strong relationships with the children, which has inspired them to find Christ.
McGuire has participated in mission service trips to Biloxi, Miss.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Philippi, W.Va.; Malawi, Africa; Patzun, Guatemala; and Tuba City, Ariz.
McGuire has also been instrumentally involved with the University’s Mini-Relay for Life fundraiser. As a cancer survivor, McGuire recognizes the importance of aiding cancer research and prevention efforts.
“Participating in service is not just a commitment that I have made, but a lifestyle I have chosen for myself. I feel with the line of work that I intend on doing upon graduation, I will be serving children everyday of my life,” she said.
McGuire said that while she knows she may not make millions, she knows she will make a difference. Her future goals, according to McGuire, can be attributed to the service she has done while a student at Waynesburg University. Upon graduation, she plans to work with at-risk or special needs children and earn a master’s degree in social work.
“I feel truly blessed to be the recipient of the 2010 Harry E. Gardner Award,” McGuire said. “I feel service is a way for me to spread hope to those who feel hopeless. I have been truly blessed with a wonderful service site and I often feel that the children have given more back to me than I have to them.”
Mary Beth Crouch, a senior biblical & ministry studies (children & youth) major from Camas, Wash., and Britni Green, a junior biology major from Newark, Ohio, were also nominated for the individual award.
“This is a special group of people. They live, breathe and eat our University’s mission of faith, learning and serving,” said Dave Calvario, director of the Center for Service Leadership at Waynesburg University. “All of the nominees, in their own way, have impacted the campus, as well as local, regional, national and international communities. Each one has moved from just being volunteers to becoming advocates for a cause.”
Recipients were selected by a committee comprised of Waynesburg University faculty and staff. Selection criteria included years of service and commitment to service, contributions made to the community through service, creativity in service and personal growth from serving.
The EcoStewards Club, led by Dr. Janet Paladino, assistant professor of biology at Waynesburg University, received the 2010 Harry E. Gardner club or organization award. President Dorothy Rurak, EcoStewards co-president, accepted the award. The Club initiates best environmental practices as they relate to Waynesburg University and the local community.
“These students have made significant impacts on both the campus and local communities and continue to raise awareness of current environmental and sustainability issues,” Paladino said. “Their enthusiasm and motivation has initiated an important step toward the creation of a campus community which is environmentally aware and called to stewardship by their Christian beliefs.”
Rurak said the Club is honored to receive the award and she hopes that more Waynesburg students will join their efforts to “develop a culture of creation care on campus and in the community.”
The club participated in the Campus Climate Challenge where students competed to decrease the use of energy and water consumption in residence halls and campus-owned houses. The Club has also shared its commitment to caring for the environment with a local elementary school, urging the younger generation to become involved with caring for God’s creation.
The American Chemical Society and Waynesburg University Peer Educators were also nominated for the group award.
Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three adult centers located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and is one of only 27 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
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Released April 13, 2010
Contact: Pam Cunningham, Assistant Director of University Relations
724.852.3384 or pcunning@waynesburg.edu