June 3, 2016 - Twenty three students from the University of Houston were honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award at the Metropolitan Volunteer Program’s end of year banquet held on April 28, 2016. This national award is an initiative from the Corporation for National and Community Service and the President of the United States and recognizes groups and individuals who dedicate a certain number of hours of service during a 12-month time frame.

The three levels of the President’s Volunteer Service Award are based on the number of cumulative volunteer hours. The Bronze recipients completed 100-174 hours, Silver recipients completed 175-249 hours, and the Gold recipients completed 250+ service hours within the last 12 months. All recipients received a personalized certificate and a medallion corresponding with their award level.

Gold

• Talha Ahmad (Senior, Human Nutrition and Foods- Nutritional Sciences)
• Eman Baig (Senior, Human Nutrition and Foods)
• Jafer Bohra (Senior, Kinesiology)
• Kristyn Hietala (Junior, Health)
• Andrew Mai (Senior, Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences)
• Cecilia Pham (Senior, Biochemistry)
• Hung Nguyen (Junior, Digital Media)

Silver

• Brooke Alexandria Dantzler (Junior, Computer Information Systems)
• Emily Johnson (Senior, History)
• Celene Marie Morales (Junior, Communication Sciences and Disorders)
• Cesar Muro (Junior, Biology)
• Heather Pham (Senior, Biology)

Bronze

• Karina Berinshteyn (Junior, Finance and Supply Chain Management)
• Ja'Lissa R. Iles (Senior, Psychology)
• Swati Mahapatra (Freshman, Health)
• Nimra Pasha (Sophomore, Nutritional Sciences)
• Jennifer Pham (Junior, Pre-Pharmacy)
• Christopher Pinto (Senior, Mathematical Finance)
• Farrah Enayet Rahim (Junior, Honors Biomedical Sciences)
• JoAnn Sanchez (Senior, Psychology and Communication Sciences and Disorders)
• Rabia Shaik (Junior, Biotechnology)
• Claire Smith (Sophomore, Psychology)
• Ali Tran (Senior, Biology)

All University of Houston students who are either a United States citizen or a lawfully admitted permanent resident of the United States are eligible to receive this award with the completion of the designated number of hours tracked through Get Involved. “When students take the time out of their schedules to do service, they are showing a commitment to bettering our community. It is an opportunity for them to learn more about the impact of social issues on our society, and to gain practical skills and knowledge necessary to combat these issues,” said Katy Kaesebier, Associate Director in the Center for Student Involvement. “Tracking these hours through Get Involved is a great way to see the true impact of service, both at an individual and a campus level.” Visit the Center for Student Involvement website to learn more about how to track your hours and to read our service hours guidelines.

About the Center for Student Involvement:
Under the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services the Center for Student Involvement provides involvement opportunities for students at the University of Houston main campus. The University of Houston’s diverse population ensures that there is a place for everyone, and The Center for Student Involvement helps each student find it. Over 500 student organizations are registered with Center for Student Involvement and it is the central location for leadership programs and civic engagement opportunities. Advising staff assist fee-funded groups with the event planning of campus events and traditions. The guidance and educational experiences offered by the department cultivates skills that will be useful for a lifetime.