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RELEASED: April 15, 2004
DANVILLE, KY—Ashley Reser, a junior education major from Bellefontaine, Ohio, is the Volunteer of the Month for March.
Reser organized student volunteers for the National Education Association's Read Across America day. This year-round program culminates on or near Dr. Seuss' birthday (March 2), and focuses attention on the importance of motivating children to read. As secretary for Centre's student chapter of the Kentucky affiliate of NEA, Reser thought organizing a reading event for the local schools was a perfect fit for her.
"Ashley just walked into my office one day and asked if she could plan something for Read Across America day," says Trina McFarland, director of service and leadership development at Centre. "After that, she was off and running. I was very impressed with her initiative and her planning."
And Reser's planning paid off.
"As an education major I'm at the schools a lot and I had some really good contacts, so I was able to call up some of my secretary and principal friends.
"And the response I got was overwhelming. We were set up in 52 classrooms and I had 41 Centre volunteers. The program was a lot larger than I expected.
"Two of our volunteers are staying with their classroom and continuing to read. I'm really excited about it, and it seemed to be a good experience for everyone."
Along with being a resident assistant at Centre, Reser is involved in LIFT (Learning is Fun Together), Habitat for Humanity, the Spring Service Plunge, the Salvation Army and she volunteers for the Ronald McDonald House through her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi.
The volunteer award program at Centre recognizes some of the many students who provide service to the local community. Each year, around 60 percent of all Centre students become community volunteers. The College encourages volunteer service with a community-service day each year as part of the orientation for first-year Centre students. For more information, contact McFarland at (859) 238-5479 or e-mail mcfarlnd@centre.edu.
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