Averett University - Serve Virginia

Averett University

RICKETTSFRAN10131--C-CAP Director Fran Ricketts 10/24/2013 MATT ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Averett University

May 3, 2023

Congratulations to Averett University of Danville – winner of the 2019 Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Award for Outstanding Educational Institution! Service is woven into the fabric of Averett University. Averett’s mission is to prepare students to serve and lead as catalysts for positive change. The university’s Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness (CCECC) is a primary example of their dedication to service. CCECC is an innovative program which serves as a facilitator for pairing volunteers from Averett, Danville Community College, and Piedmont Community College with local organizations such as God’s Storehouse, the Boys & Girls Club of the Dan River Region, and many others. The first program of its kind in the Commonwealth, the CCECC has built a regional framework to advance community engagement, experiential learning, and career development. From Day to Engage, a collaborative effort between schools and community partners on 13 projects, to the Walk to End Alzheimer’s and many other projects, the CCECC has made a huge impact on the region. In addition to the CCECC, Averett Athletics is another wonderful example of service and outreach. The athletic program provides ongoing service opportunities to their student-athletes. The program received an Award of Merit for Community Service from the NCAA Division III for Special Olympics Fun Day activities at which 350 student-athletes volunteered. Throughout the entire university in all its many programs, in 2018 alone, more than 600 volunteers have served the local community. From energizing the student body to vote and hosting National Service programs like AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA, Averett has made community engagement a top priority. Averett University is indeed an innovator, keeping its commitment to fostering a culture of service and serving as a model for other universities to create a common expectation and opportunity for more young Americans to serve their communities and country. Read more Volunteer Stories! Submit a Story!

Bezawit Getachew Mulatu

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Dave and Judy Fuller

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Bruce Lamond

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Therese Goding

Story of Service: Therese Goding

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Mark Fero

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Chris Sandquist

Story of Service: Chris Sandquist

Thanks to his lifelong commitment to service, Virginia AmeriCorps member Chris Sandquist is a recipient of the Harris Wofford Joint Service Award, honoring individuals who have successfully completed both a full-time service term or its equivalent in AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. Chris grew up in Waynesboro, Virginia, before moving to Maine for college and then spending two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunisia, North Africa, where he taught English as a Foreign Language to businesspeople and college students at the Tunisian National Institute of Modern Languages. He recalls, "Joining the Peace Corps after college was a...

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