Kayla Curtis Among Top Student Employees in the Country
Kayla Curtis (l) poses with Valerie Webster, co-curricular transcript coordinator (Photo by Stephanie Lockhart '15)
Kayla Curtis, a senior psychology major, found out today (April 18) she made it to the Final Four of the National Student Employment Association (NSEA) Student Employee of the Year competition.
Curtis was honored at a luncheon for being the 2013 Keuka College, New York state, and Northeast Association of Student Employment Administrators (NEASEA) Student Employee of the Year. As the regional winner, she went up against three other regional winners (from University of Iowa, California Polytechnic State University, and Auburn University) for the NASEA award, which was won by the student from Auburn University.
Nonetheless, winning the NEASEA award is impressive because nearly 100 schools/institutions from 11 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and six Canadian provinces are members of the organization.
“Two-hundred students, including six from Keuka College, were nominated at the institutional level,” said Sally Daggett, associate director of the Center for Experiential learning and director of student employment. “Nineteen schools from nine states submitted their winners for state awards and the regional winner was chosen from that group.”
Curtis, who hails from of Red Creek, is a psychology major who has served as student coordinator for the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) chapter on campus since arriving on campus as a transferring sophomore. BBBS pairs volunteer “Bigs” (college students) with “Littles,” young students befriended and mentored by the Bigs.
Curtis was nominated by Valerie Webster, co-curricular transcript coordinator in the Center for Experiential Learning
According to Webster, Curtis increased the number of matches from one to 12, handles all aspects of training and data entry for the “Bigs,” and does “98 percent of the work to keep the program operational.”
Photo by Stephanie Lockhart '15
Curtis exhibits a “work ethic, initiative and commitment to understanding and serving others” that will make her an asset to any organization after graduation, said Webster. “Her positive attitude, patience and ability to work with people are refreshing and energizing.”
Curtis has also been a resident assistant, a three-year member of the Psychology Club (current vice president), a member of two honor societies, and holds a 3.8 GPA.
Curtis received a certificate and a check for $250 from NEASEA, and a plaque and $100 gift card to the bookstore from the College.
Curtis Grows BBBS Chapter Through Challenges
Editor’s Note: This is the fifth in a series of profiles of Student Employee of the Year nominees. The winner will be announced at a luncheon Thursday, April 18.
Kayla Curtis of Red Creek, a senior psychology major at Keuka, was nominated for the 2013 Student Employee of the Year award for her work as student coordinator for the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) chapter on campus.
BBBS pairs volunteer “Bigs” (college students) with “Littles,” young students befriended and mentored by the Bigs.
Curtis has held that role since enrolling as a transferring sophomore at Keuka in the fall of 2010. But a transition in professional staff at the Greater Rochester BBBS office three weeks after Curtis started left her little training and only one match. Nonetheless, Curtis pressed forward. According to Valerie Webster, co-curricular transcript coordinator, she increased the number of matches from one to 12, handles all aspects of training and data entry for the “Bigs,” and does “98 percent of the work to keep the program operational.”
This includes organizing activities throughout the year that pairs of Bigs and Littles can attend, both on and off campus. Anytime an event is held on campus, Curtis arranges for Keuka’s AVI Fresh (dining services) to provide lunch or dinner for all Littles, so they can have a positive learning experience on a college campus.
According to Webster, Curtis exhibits a “work ethic, initiative and commitment to understanding and serving others” that will make her an asset to any organization after graduation. “Her positive attitude, patience and ability to work with people are refreshing and energizing,” Webster said.
Curtis has also been a resident assistant, a three-year member of the Psychology Club (current vice president), a member of two honor societies, and holds a 3.8 GPA.
College Impresses President Obama–Again
For the seventh straight year, Keuka College has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which has administered the Honor Roll since 2006, admitted 690 colleges and universities for the role they play in solving community problems and placing more students on a lifelong path of civic engagement.
Keuka was one of 113 schools to earn Honor Roll with Distinction recognition. It’s the third time in four years the College has earned that status.
Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships, and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service.
In the past year, Keuka College students dedicated nearly 143,000 hours of service to the community. Some of the many local organizations and programs that benefit from the time and talents of Keuka students include: Yates County Humane Society; Clinton Crest Manor, an adult care facility in Penn Yan; Child and Family Resources Inc; Head Start in Dundee; Celebrate Service… Celebrate Yates, an annual day of community service organized by students and the Yates County Chamber of Commerce; and the DRIVE (diversity, responsibility, inclusion, vision, experiential learning) program, a partnership between the Yates ARC, Penn Yan Central School, and the College that provides on-campus learning and life training skills to area students with special needs, ages 18-21.
CNCS oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, and the American Council on Education. It is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.
For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.
Bishop Ludden Senior Earns Community Achievement Award
Jared Taylor, a resident of North Syracuse and senior at Bishop Ludden Junior-Senior High School, is the February recipient of Keuka College’s Community Achievement Award.
Taylor will receive a $68,000 scholarship ($17,000 annually) in recognition of his strong academic and community service record.
Taylor was nominated for the award by Katie DeBlois, director of guidance at Bishop Ludden.
“I believe Jared is the perfect candidate for the Community Achievement Award because he epitomizes what it means to be a selfless and compassionate individual,” said DeBlois. “He makes the people, places, and animals around him better because of his efforts. He has a genuine interest in helping others.”
According to DeBlois, Bishop Ludden, like Keuka College, places great importance on community service.
“We require a certain number of volunteer hours each year, and Jared consistently far exceeds our expectations,” said DeBlois. “He goes above and beyond what we ask of him, and he truly lives our message of service to others. He is always ready to lend a helping hand.”
Among Taylor’s community service activities is Big Brothers Big Sisters. A Big Brother since his freshman year, Taylor plans to continue his participation in the program after enrolling in Keuka.
Taylor, who plays baseball for the Gaelic Knights, shares his talent and passion for athletics with youngsters in a youth baseball program. An altar server at St. Joseph the Worker, Taylor has helped train new altar servers, and volunteers at the church’s food pantry and nursery. A regular blood donor, he also lends his time to Helping Hounds Dog Rescue, a local animal shelter, “about which he is especially passionate,” said DeBlois.
“He believes in helping the dogs so much that he adopted a coon hound who had been abused,” she said. “Now the dog gets the love every pet deserves.”
“I have had the sincere pleasure of getting to know Jared both as a student and a person,” said DeBlois. “I fully believe he deserves this prestigious award.”
For more information on the Community Achievement Award, or to nominate a high school senior, go to: http://www.keuka.edu/community/
Midlakes Senior Earns Community Achievement Award
Samantha Peacock, a resident of Phelps and senior at Midlakes High School, is the November recipient of Keuka College’s Community Achievement Award.
Peacock will receive a $68,000 scholarship ($17,000 annually) in recognition of her strong academic and community service record.
The College will select five monthly winners during the 2012-13 academic year. Emma Karaman of Sherburne was the September recipient while Emily Good of Lockport was honored in October.
Peacock was nominated for the award by Chris Tillman ’97, a school counselor at Midlakes.
“Samantha is an active member of our school and community and works tirelessly to help make our area a better place to live and learn,” said Tillman. “The impact of her presence on our community is too deep to measure, and there clearly will be void next year when she’s away at college.”
Peacock, who plays soccer and lacrosse for the Screaming Eagles, shares her talent and passion for athletics with youngsters in the Little Dribblers basketball program. She is also a Spanish mentor at Midlakes Primary School.
She has volunteered at a local animal shelter since she was a middle school student and helped make the Ontario County Fun at the Farm day “a success by helping with the preparation and implementation of the event,” said Tillman.
Peacock, who also lends her time and talents to her church, has spent many hours helping raise funds for school organizations. She volunteered at the school’s open house, served as volunteer manager for the wrestling team, and worked the Breakfast with Santa event.
“You don’t typically see someone Samantha’s age that is so selfless with a desire to help others,” said Tillman.
Said Peacock: “Nothing but good comes from volunteering. It’s rewarding to see how appreciative people are.”
For more information on the Community Achievement Award, or to nominate a high school senior, go to: http://www.keuka.edu/community/
Community Service “A Great Part of My Life”
Emily Good
Emily Good, a resident of Lockport and senior at Mount St. Mary Academy, is the October recipient of Keuka College’s Community Achievement Award.
Good will receive a $68,000 scholarship ($17,000 annually) in recognition of her strong academic and community service record.
The College will select five monthly winners during the 2012-13 academic year. Emma Karaman of Sherburne was the September recipient and others will be selected in November, December, and January.
Good was nominated for the award by Helen Scimeca, campus minister/community service coordinator at Mount St. Mary.
“Emily is an excellent student and an asset to our school,” said Scimeca. “She demonstrates her enthusiasm to help others through community service programs at the school and her church.”
Since her freshman year, Good has completed 287 hours of community service, 122 more than the school requires.
“Community service is a great part of my life and has been since I was little,” said Good. “I choose to perform community service because it is important to be involved and help others.”
Good received bronze Presidential Volunteer Service Awards in 2011 and 2012, “and I am sure she will receive another in 2013,” said Scimeca, who added that Good “has always been eager to accept responsibility for many events as well as fill in wherever needed without being asked.
“Emily is a talented and dependable young lady with outstanding organizational skills and the ability to successfully complete multiple tasks with favorable results despite deadline pressures,” said Scimeca.
For more information on the Community Achievement Award, or to nominate a high school senior, go to: http://www.keuka.edu/community/
Community Achievement Award Recipient Sets the Bar High
Emma Karaman, a resident of Sherburne and senior at Sherburne-Earlville (S-E) Central School, is the inaugural recipient of Keuka College’s Community Achievement Award.
Karaman will receive a $68,000 scholarship ($17,000 anually) in recognition of her strong academic and community service record.
The College will select five monthly winners during the 2012-13 academic year. Karaman is the September recipient and others will be selected in October, November, December, and January.
Karaman was nominated for the award by Candice Poyer, high school counselor.
“Her willingness and desire to donate every free minute to working and mentoring children makes her an excellent and deserving recipient of this award,” said Poyer. “Since her freshman year, she has used her free time to assist elementary teachers in their classrooms. Occasionally, I have juniors and seniors do this, but Emma was the first freshman who had the desire and maturity to be a valuable resource to the teachers.”
Karaman plans to pursue a degree in adolescent education and in addition to teaching, hopes to pursue a career in coaching. That should not come as a surprise, since her talent for working with children extends beyond the classroom.
The leading scorer on the S-E soccer team, “Emma shares her talent, love of the sport, positive attitude, and tremendous work ethic with youth soccer teams,” said Poyer.
However, her athletic acumen isn’t confined to soccer. She holds the school’s pole vault record.
“I always wanted to fly,” explained Karaman of her attraction to the sport.
A time-management whiz, Karaman is a member of the concert and marching bands and a dance troupe selected to perform at Disney World. In addition, she has been instrumental in organizing numerous class activities, from chicken barbecues to the prom.
“Emma is admired and respected by her peers,” said Poyer.
Karaman is also active in her community, serving as an acolyte, assistant Sunday school teacher, and member of the youth group at her church. She is a frequent volunteer at the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown.
For more information on the Community Achievement Award, or to nominate a high school senior, click here.
Despite Stiffer Competition, College Earns High Marks
After earning a place in the larger and more competitive master’s universities category, Keuka College has again received high marks for its commitment to community service by Washington Monthly.
A year ago, Keuka was ranked No. 8 out of 309 baccalaureate colleges in the Washington Monthly College Guide and Rankings. In the service metric, Keuka was ranked No. 1 in the country in terms of “community service participation and hours served.”
This year, competing in an advanced category that includes 682 master’s universities, Keuka was No. 6 in that same metric. That was the primary reason the College earned a No. 73 overall ranking.
“A No. 6 ranking in the service metric and top 11 percent overall ranking are impressive, especially when you consider that we competed in an advanced category against more than twice as many schools, most with larger enrollments and a longer history of offering master’s degree programs,” said College President Dr. Jorge L. Díaz-Herrera.
The president also stated that Keuka “is at the top” of its peer schools that were ranked this year.
Díaz-Herrera said Keuka “advanced to a new category by choice in order to promote excellence at a new level that highlights the growth and expansion in its academic and social mission.”
In addition to service—“The students in our best colleges,” say editors of the magazine, “are taught by example and design to look beyond themselves and give back” – Washington Monthly ranks colleges on:
- social mobility, and
- research production and success at sending undergraduates on to Ph.D.s.
For more on the Washington Monthly College Guide and Rankings, go to http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/rankings_2012/masters_universities_rank.php
Golf Classic Tees Off July 16
The 13th Annual Keuka College Golf Classic will be contested Monday, July 16 at Lakeside Country Club in Penn Yan.
The 18-hole scramble tournament benefits the Deb Manahan Golf Classic Scholarship, which carries the name of the late Penn Yan resident, avid golfer and Keuka College benefactor. In its first 12 years, the tournament raised more than $149,000 for the scholarship, awarded annually to Keuka students from the Finger Lakes region.
There will be a shotgun start at 1:15 p.m. and competition in men’s, women’s, mixed, and senior flights. The cost is $95 and includes greens fees, cart, lunch, refreshments on the course, and dinner. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Team or individual entries are accepted. To receive a registration form, or for more information, call (315) 279-5238 or email keukagolfclassic@keuka.edu.
Rotaract Club Earns Changemaker Award
Keuka College’s Rotaract Club recently received the inaugural Changemaker Award from Rotary International.
Rotaract Club President Janelle Davidson holds the Changemaker Award.
The Keuka club was the only one in District 7120 to earn the award for completing an array of activities in each of Rotary’s five Avenues of Service. District 7120 includes clubs in Monroe, Wayne, Wyoming, Livingston, Ontario, Yates, Seneca, Allegany, Steuben, Chemung and Schuyler counties.
Rotaract is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30. Rotaract clubs are either community or university based, and they’re sponsored by a local Rotary club. As one of Rotary’s most significant and fastest-growing service programs, Rotaract boasts more than 8,400 clubs in about 170 countries and geographical areas. (more…)
Today at Keuka
- RHA Meeting
- May 19 at noon
- Zombie Run!
- May 19 at 1 p.m.
- Point Neamo Open for Boating
- May 19 at 1 p.m.
- Catholic Mass
- May 19 at 7 p.m.
- Pizza Sale
- May 19 at 7 p.m.
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