Among the many values that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. cherished and encouraged throughout his lifetime was that of service to others. Embodying the legacy that Dr. King left behind, Alfred State students, faculty, and staff all devote their time and efforts to make their community and the world a better place.
One way in which Alfred State pays tribute to Dr. King is by honoring those who represent his spirit of service. This year, the college will host its seventh annual Spirit of Service Award Ceremony at 5 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Alfred Village Hall. This ceremony continues to be a collaborative program between Alfred State and Alfred University.
Each year during the ceremony, the college presents a student, a faculty or staff member, and a community member with a Spirit of Service Award, which recognizes and celebrates those in the Greater Alfred community who demonstrate a strong commitment to serving others. The award is intended to honor people who are actively living out the principles Martin Luther King Jr. stood for, including equality, social justice, community, and service.
Last year’s recipients were 11 students (seven from Alfred State and four from Alfred University) who had joined the A.E. Crandall Hook and Ladder Company for volunteer fire and ambulance service; Matthew Ryan, Alfred State senior director of Residential Life; and community member Melissa Jusianiec. David Snyder, access services coordinator at Alfred University’s Herrick Library and the Alfred Sun publisher, was presented with the 2016 Alfred University Faculty/Staff Spirit of Service Award. Alfred University student Robert Graves, an art and design major from Alfred Station, was presented with the 2016 Alfred University Student Spirit of Service Award.
The college also recognizes students, faculty, and staff who demonstrate leadership through civic engagement by presenting the College Council Leadership through Civic Engagement Award and the Newman Civic Fellows Award.
Examples of some of the civic engagement opportunities that Alfred State is a part of include Celebrate Service Celebrate Allegany, a day of community service projects that take place throughout Allegany County. In the fall semester, Building Trades students also traveled to New Orleans and Scottsboro, AL, to provide skilled service alongside community partners as part of the Semester in the South program. During the 2015-2016 academic year, students performed approximately 80,000 hours of community service through class-based applied learning and co-curricular programs.
