By: Amanda Held
Posted In: News
Photo credit: Amanda Held
Housekeeping staff members pose after being recognized for their acheivements in helping freshmen adjust to their new homes away from home.
Photo credit: Amanda Held
Miley Housekeeping staff members Ana Aguiar, Maria Cordeiro, Ilda Andrade, and Maria Mello accepting their Freshman Advocate Awards.
About 100 members of the Salve community gathered in the Ochre Court State Dining Room on Apr. 19 to recognize some of the university’s finest at this year’s Student Life Honors Dinner. Among those honored were members of the Miley Hall housekeeping staff, who were the recipients of one of three Freshman Advocate Awards.
The award is given annually to individuals who returning sophomores believe were “especially instrumental in helping freshman complete their first year of college,” John Rok, vice president for student life, noted. The Miley staff members who were honored were Ana Aguiar, Maria Cordeiro, Ilda Andrade, and Maria Mello. Carmel Coughlan, a professional lecturer in economics, and Sarah E. Kelly, assistant director of undergraduate admissions, also received Freshman Advocate Awards. All the recipients will have their name placed on a plaque located in Miley Hall and receive a framed plaque of their own as well. Rok also presented them with backscratchers, which according to Rok, symbolize “the ability for a task to be accomplished with a helping hand.” This year’s backscratchers were sent from Costa Rica by Rok’s daughter. The Student Life Honors Dinner is held annually as a means to honor students who have been recognized by peers, faculty and staff as outstanding contributors to the cohesiveness of the university community. Rok began the ceremony with a prayer. He then recognized the 52 students who were chosen for inclusion in Who’s Who at American Colleges and Universities. Margaret O’Brien was one of the 52. A junior at Salve, O’Brien is currently captain of the women’s basketball team and has exceeded the requirement of the university’s 10 community service hours. In fact, she has done community service every year. Some of that work has included work with the Boys and Girls Club and helping build local housing in Middletown for young boys who are without homes. After a brief intermission for a delicious buffet dinner, the ceremony resumed with brief recognitions of all the attending members of clubs and organizations. Of the many, Professor Daniel Knight honored the secretary of the Administration of Justice Club for all her hard work and “ability to keep everyone on track”. Field hockey and lacrosse coach Hillary London noted her thanks to junior Anne Falcetano for her dedication and organization of intramural sports. Other clubs honored included the Model UN Club, Best Buddies, the Multicultural Student Organization, Stagefright, and the Dance Company. Sarah B. Kelly, Salve’s community service coordinator, continued with the presentation of the Community Service Recognition Awards. This year, six students were recognized for their outstanding efforts in the community: Brittany Jarrett ’09 was recognized for her work at Heatherwood Nursing and Rehab, Casandra Tracy for her work with Circle K and B.O.W, Sarah Bragdon ’06 for the 600 hours of service she completed with AmeriCorps, Ashley Bickford ’07 for her work in the Positive Role Model Program, Jessica Cote ’08 for her work with both Best Buddies and the Salvation Army and Christina McCue ’08 for her service in a variety of areas. For many of these students, the accomplishments mentioned are just a few of the many that are under their belt. By the admiration and tone of Kelly’s voice, it was clear these students have a made a great impact in a variety of areas in our community.
