North Carolina Campus Compact Recognizes Inaugural Community Impact Student Award Winners

North Carolina Campus Compact (NCCC) was pleased to recognize 21 recipients of their inaugural Community Impact Student Award on November 11, 2006 at North Carolina State University during the annual NCCC Student Conference. This award will be presented each year to students who have made significant, innovative contributions to campus-based efforts to address community needs. North Carolina Senator Janet Cowell and Representative Linda Coleman each spoke about the value of civic engagement and challenged students to continue being involved on their campuses and in their communities. They spoke during the Awards Ceremony Luncheon before an audience of more than 225 college students representing 26 schools and 3 states. Cowell and Coleman also passed out a plaque and certificate and posed for a picture with each Community Impact Student Award winner. Students were selected for the award by their individual campus and were asked to submit a 400-600 word essay, a brief bio and one letter of support. The 21 campuses that selected a Community Impact Student Award winner were: Appalachian State University, Catawba College, Central Piedmont Community College, Duke University, East Carolina University, Elon University, Gardner-Webb University, Greensboro College, High Point University, Lenoir-Rhyne College, Mars Hill College, Meredith College, North Carolina State University, Peace College, Pfeiffer University, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Pembroke, UNC-Wilmington, Wake Forest University and Western Carolina University. From the Community Impact Student Award winners who fit the criteria, a Selection Committee was formed to review the applications and select North Carolina Campus Compact's two nominees for the Howard R. Swearer Humanitarian Award. NCCC was pleased to announce Virginia Bates (Appalachian State University) and Katherine Graunke (Western Carolina University) as their two nominees for the Swearer Award during the Awards Ceremony Luncheon. North Carolina Campus Compact (NCCC) is a growing statewide coalition of college and university presidents and chancellors in North Carolina established to encourage and support campus engagement in the community.