Released March 25, 1999

Centre student wins volunteer award for diversity project

DANVILLE, KY -- Brandi Rollins, a Centre College sophomore from Suisun City, Calif., has been honored by the college as Volunteer of the Month for her campus work to promote understanding of diversity.

Rollins founded and now chairs a campus project known as "Free the Mind." With the help of three other students, she produces flyers and newspaper articles that help the Centre community learn about various ethnic and religious groups.

During February, "Free the Mind" materials promoted Black History, but also called attention to Chinese New Year celebrations and traditional Christian holidays including Ash Wednesday.

For March, Rollins directed the project toward Women's History Month as well as Jewish and Muslim religious holidays. Later this spring, Rollins hopes to coordinate a Holocaust Remembrance Dinner as well as a Cinco de Mayo celebration. She also is intent on a fund-raising event that will assist hunger-relief agencies.

Rollins describes "Free the Mind" as an effort to increase diversity through educational means. If she has one goal, it is to reach as many individual students and college employees as possible, opening their eyes and the minds to different kinds of people and places. "The most important aspect of diversity," says Rollins, "is individuals respecting cultures different from their own."

An English and sociology major, Rollins wants to pursue graduate study and hopes to become a college professor some day. She is a graduate of Armijo High School in Fairfield, Calif., and is the daughter of Yvette Ligons of Suisun City.

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Communications Office
Centre College
600 W. Walnut Street
Danville, KY 40422

Coordinator of Public Information: Patsi Barnes Trollinger
Telephone 606-238-5719 · trllngrp@centre.edu