Herzing University Announces 19 #GivingTuesday Scholarship Winners

Herzing University is proud to announce the recipients of its second annual #GivingTuesday scholarship campaign. Created to celebrate Herzing’s core value of caring, students, prospective students and alumni were asked to complete an act of kindness – large or small – and include it in an online scholarship application.

In total, 19 scholarships of $1,000 each are being awarded to individuals for various acts of kindness.

“GivingTuesday is a global movement that aligns perfectly with our goal of encouraging individuals to do good works, especially in their own communities,” said Herzing University Vice President of Admissions Derrick Pope. “We organize volunteer and giving opportunities throughout the year, and these scholarships are our way of showcasing the generous spirit of our current, former and future students while thanking them in a meaningful way.”

More than 1,100 acts were submitted and they showed the unique ways individuals in the Herzing family give back. The winners from each campus include:

Akron: Erica Longfellow and Elizabeth Brown

Erica Longfellow’s winning act of kindness was helping a patient walk to her car and providing her with warm blankets for her children. Elizabeth Brown helps take care of two men in her life who suffer from strokes.

Atlanta: Laxmi Acharya and Stevonnie Beckett

Laxmi Acharya’s act of kindness was donating clothes for refugees of Nepal, while Stevonnie Beckett donated supplies and home goods to a friend who had just adopted a child as a single mom.

Birmingham: Judith Sellers and Michele Shepherd-Tigner

Judith Sellers and her family help make the holidays special for those in need by donating to a community toy drive and participating in local Angel Tree programs. Michele Shepherd-Tigner helps care for a friend’s mother by visiting with her, cooking her healthy meals and giving her personal pedicures and manicures twice a month.

Brookfield: Zoe Corp and Jesse Rodriguez

Zoe Corp’s act of kindness was offering a man extra change for his parking meter, so that he would have enough time to go to a nearby café and grab a cup of coffee. Jesse Rodriguez, a clinical dietitian, spent extra time to help a patient feel more comfortable, and the patient was very grateful.

Kenosha: Jami Van Brocklin and Nicole Gilkey

Jami Van Brocklin donated a winter jacket and pair of snow boots to a clothing drive at her son’s school. Nicole Gilkey’s act of kindness was assisting a disabled veteran with his lunch order and making sure that he had everything he needed a before leaving a deli.

Madison: Jacob Sanderson

While on a three-month cross-country road trip, Jacob Sanderson encountered a couple whose vehicle was stuck between heavy boulders; they had no cell service and no water. Sanderson’s act of kindness was stopping to help them free their vehicle.

Minneapolis: Madonna Vang and Veronica Rivas

Madonna Vang helped a woman in front of her at the deli pay for an extra candy bar for her young daughter. Veronica Rivas also lent a hand to a woman who was shopping with her young children at the grocery store.

New Orleans: Charles Bardwell and Megan Porrier

Charles Bardwell helps mentor young men in his community through the Project Aspiration program. Megan Porrier’s act of kindness was comforting a friend who was dealing with the loss of her grandma.

Online: Shahrazad Forat and Kia Kimbrough

Shahrazad Forat recently donated blankets to help the homeless though the colder winter months. Kia Kimbrough’s winning act of kindness was helping an elderly neighbor get to his eye surgery appointment. She is also helping him with his follow-up care and other tasks, such as cooking, cleaning and running errands, until his family can make it into town.

Orlando: Lisa Mick and Aryana Harris

Lisa Mick and her children donated toys and clothes and made a home-cooked meal for a family who had lost everything in a house fire. Mick’s family had also experienced a house fire months earlier, so they wanted to do whatever they could to help.

Aryana Harris lent a hand to a grocery store employee who was restocking shelves. When items began to fall from his stock pile, she helped pick them up.

The GivingTuesday scholarships are just part of the more than $10 million in scholarships and grants Herzing has provided to help students pursue their dreams, build careers and strengthen their communities.