Not just roamin’ around

Circle K is the largest nonprofit service organization in the world at the college level. It is the student equivalent of Kiwanis International Club, Circle K’s sponsoring organization. “Circle K provides an excellent opportunity outside of Greek life for CNU students to participate in a variety of community activities,” said senior Ashleigh Balsamo, CNU’s Circle K president. “Our three pillars are service, leadership and fellowship, and it’s our mission to provide numerous opportunities for college students to make a difference in the community.”

“Every Friday we go to an assisted living community,” Ashleigh said. “We do everything there from socials with the residents to building gingerbread houses and playing our weekly game of Bunko. We also volunteer in programs through CNU Campus Ministries, in which Circle K members feed the homeless within the Hampton Roads area. Our club also developed a program called ‘Crochet for Kids.’ We receive donations from local art supply stores, and we crochet or knit scarves, hats and blankets for women and children in local shelters.”

Ashleigh added, “I think it’s very important for us to give back to the community because we’re helping to make improvements for our future, and it shows that we sincerely care and take pride in our surroundings.”

Leading by example

The President’s Leadership Program provides students with opportunities to get to know themselves through self-study and by interacting with others. Through classroom and “real world” challenges, they gain a better insight of the leadership process and how it works in a group dynamic.

“Part of what we teach in the program is a lifestyle of servant leadership,” said Cristin Toutsi, coordinator of the President’s Leadership Program. “We ask that our PLP students do 12 to 13 hours of volunteer work every semester, so they develop a lifestyle of service to their communities. The majority of the time, they do 30 or 40 hours a semester. It gives them a chance to establish relationships in the community, as well as exposing them to something they are passionate about. We really instill in our students that when so much has been given to you, and you take on leadership roles in life, you have a responsibility to help others. That’s how communities thrive. That’s how society thrives – through volunteers who relentlessly give their time and energy.

“Society needs active participants who are willing to make tomorrow better than today. These servant leaders become role models for their peers and therefore create a chain-reaction. More and more CNU students are volunteering in the community than ever before. This can be attributed to the emphasis on citizenship and service learning that our program facilitates.”

Emily Low, a senior math major with a minor in leadership studies, was reading Parade magazine one Sunday and saw an announcement for a nationwide campaign to help feed those who were left hungry by hurricane disasters in the Gulf Coast. She organized the CNU version of “The Great American Bakeoff” for Share Our Strength, an international organization that helps supply food to the hungry. Emily solicited donations from stores such as Harris Teeter and Steve’s European Bakery and Café, and she also encouraged students to bake items for the cause. Her efforts resulted in $300 being raised for the national effort.

Seniors Ariel Wallingsford and Maureen Iselin are leaders in the President’s Leadership Program. In 2005, these women envisioned a conference for local youth as a community outreach project. The result was the Middle School Leadership Conference Committee. In conjunction with Newport News Public Schools, middle school students came to CNU for a full day of workshops and a tour of the campus. The objectives were to get them excited about taking on leadership roles in their school, to help them learn what it means to be a school leader, give them an insight into how leadership can provide motivation to realize their potential, and instill the desire to start planning for a college experience. It was a huge success last year, they said, and they are planning it again this year with help from faculty and staff.

Stephanie Whitt, a sophomore majoring in social work and minoring in leadership studies, volunteers weekly at a Newport News nursing home. She also volunteers at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Newport News to provide community meals for those in need. “She’ll volunteer basically anywhere that someone needs help,” said Ms. Toutsi. “As a social work major, she sees the value and impact volunteering can have on individuals and the businesses/organizations they volunteer for. She loves to serve others.”

The spirit continues

Course study, group effort, and individual initiatives form the cornerstone of a giving society at CNU. It is a tradition that continues after college with an active group of Alumni that benefits the community and the individual in the process.

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