Sophomore Bailey Davis is using the stipend from her Humanitarian Award to help the victims of Stoneman Douglas High School
From suicide prevention to providing care for the elderly to helping rural communities have running water, Florida State University students have been hard at work serving others.
FSU President John Thrasher and Vice President for Student Affairs Amy Hecht recognized 15 of these humanitarian heroes for their tremendous commitment to service at a luncheon Wednesday, March 21, as part of the annual President’s Humanitarian of the Year program.
“Nothing is more inspiring to me than seeing students giving back and make the world a better place,” Thrasher said.
The President’s Undergraduate Humanitarian of the Year Award is a prestigious honor that recognizes students who exhibit an incredible commitment to service. Each college nominates one student for the award. Through the program, the nominees will receive $200 to be donated to the nonprofit of their choice.
Of the students honored Wednesday, the one who best exemplifies a commitment to service will receive the President’s Undergraduate Humanitarian of the Year Award at FSU’s annual Leadership Awards Night on April 10. The winner will receive an additional $1,000 for their charity.
During the luncheon, students shared their experiences and reflections on service and their work to improve the lives of others. For many, their drive for service came from a very emotional and personal level.
For College of Criminology & Criminal Justice junior John Walker, who has dedicated more than 300 hours volunteering for 211 Big Bend providing crisis and suicide prevention counseling, the passion came from losing a close friend to suicide during his freshman year.
College of Criminology & Criminal Justice junior John Walker addressed the group with an inspiring story about turning pain into hope.
“After my friend Lauren committed suicide, I had a lot of survivor’s guilt and thought about how I could have done more,” Walker said. “Though I couldn’t bring her back, I realized I could still help those who are going through the same struggles and give them reasons to live.”
Walker said it is inspiring to be around so many other students who have used their pain in a positive way.
“It was so humbling being surrounded by so many other individuals with such touching stories,” Walker said. “The work that everyone is doing; taking their pain and using it to help others is absolutely amazing.”
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering sophomore Bailey Davis has worked hard to raise funds for Relay for Life after losing a close friend to cancer in high school.
“Before my friend passed away, I promised him that I would work tirelessly for an organization to help find a cure for cancer,” Davis said.
Her efforts shifted when Davis faced another immense tragedy in her life. She is an alumna of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where one of the worst school shootings in history recently took place. Davis is now donating her stipend from the award to the Christopher Hixon Memorial Fund, honoring one of the shooting victims she was close to.
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering sophomore Bailey Davis is using the stipend from her Humanitarian Award to help the victims of Stoneman Douglas High School.
“My mother is a teacher there, and my sister is a student,” Davis said. “It was my home away from home, and Mr. Hixon was my mentor and like a father to me.”
Davis works as an advocate with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and as an honors delegate on FSU’s campus. As a freshman, Davis dedicated herself to raising the most funds for her 2017 Relay for Life team.
Other humanitarians shared similarly touching and emotional stories. Thrasher and Hecht emphasized the dedicated work the students have done will echo beyond their time on campus, making them ambassadors for the university and citizens who care about making their communities better.
“We know our students are changing the world,” Hecht said. “You are making your mark now and you will continue to do so throughout your lives. That’s what being a Seminole is all about.”
Read more about the 2018 honorees at FSU News.