Lee Bernstein serves with the  Virginia College Advising Corps as a College Adviser at Rappahannock County High School in Washington, VA and is one of the highest performing advisers in Virginia College Advising Corps (VCAC) history. She not only exceeds expectations in every aspect of her role, but she epitomizes servant leadership in all she does. Starting in August 2020, Lee is the second college adviser to serve Rappahannock County High School. During a time when many school staff and college advisers were discouraged, Lee served her students with efficacy and grit, relentlessly pursuing one-on-one and small group meetings with...

2024 Governor's Volunteerism & Community Service Award honoree Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of HII, is a major employer in Hampton Roads with more than 26,000 shipbuilders. NNS gives back to the community by preparing underserved students for college and the workforce as part of a strategic effort to meet its critical hiring needs and strengthen the local economy.   Through initiatives like STEM mentoring, career awareness programs, teacher internships, and experiential learning, NNS helps students build the foundational skills needed for careers in the maritime industry. These programs introduce students to the opportunities available and help them envision themselves...

Nethan Reddy recently completed his year-long term of service as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) as a Substance Use Abatement VISTA. In this role, he was tasked with working on and implementing programs and policies that deal with substance use, especially as it impacts families. Nethan reflects, “I still remember, the position description said that the North Star of the position was to work towards ‘keeping families together’ and I thought that was a good thing to do. From a clinical perspective, it is clear that disordered substance use can do a number on...

Debbie Brubaker, a Franklin County beef and dairy farmer, has been honored with the 2019 Agriculture Advocate Award by the National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization and the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. The award recognizes Brubaker’s dedication to advancing agricultural literacy in her community for more than 10 years. In partnership with the Franklin County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee, Brubaker has provided information about agriculture to an estimated 60,000 children. Over the years, Brubaker expanded a one-day dairy event at her children’s school to include 20 learning stations that teach students about topics like milking...

Nicole Ambrose is a dedicated volunteer at the Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society, providing support throughout the year to plan the museum's school programming to meet SOL standards. Nicole says, "As an 11th grade history teacher, I always looked for opportunities to incorporate local and state history into my lesson plans. That's why the Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society is a blessing; the staff goes above and beyond to deliver quality lessons and hands-on activities for the students. Every couple of months I would walk my classes up the street, and the museum staff would greet us with...

AmeriCorps VISTA Member of the Year William Griswold, Community Services Block Grant - CAPUP, Richmond In just a short time serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with CAPUP, Will has shown a strong talent for developing community relationships. As a long-overdue needs assessment was just kicking off, Will worked to develop critical relationships with local educational institutions by recruiting students to assist with the process. He was involved in all aspects of the effort – managing and motivating volunteers and reaching out to key players in the community. Will’s successes were pivotal to the effectiveness of the needs assessment, which will ultimately...