CENTRAL – Southern Wesleyan University presented Melanie McGuffin, an online student from Mt. Holly, N.C., with the 2017 Provost’s Community Leadership Award for her active role in community involvement projects, mentoring and forming a nonprofit called Love in the Journey.
Love in the Journey has provided for foster children emergency bags, beds, cribs, mattress sets, clothes, bikes, toys, hope and the love of Jesus to foster children all over the Carolinas. McGuffin has also been involved in community projects that include Red Cross blood drives, Boys and Girls club fundraising for Greater Gaston, N.C., Relay for Life Gastonia, N.C., Christmas Angel Tree, Mentor for the Gaston County School district, Delete Blood Cancer drives, and Foster Care.
Finalists recognized were Richard Baker, a business student enrolled in Southern Wesleyan’s North Augusta education center and Cherinity Kistler, a human services student enrolled at Southern Wesleyan’s Greenville education center.
Baker was recognized for his work with United Way and the American Heart Association, Boy Scouts and a book study program on servant leadership. He also was recognized for developing the Haiti Bee Project through Enactus, an entrepreneurial initiative involving several Southern Wesleyan students; and also in connection with his coursework for the master of science in management and leadership at Southern Wesleyan.
Kistler was recognized for her work with Serenity Place and The Phoenix Center, helping women at low points in their lives to rise out of their circumstances. As a site assistant for Southern Wesleyan’s Adult Evening program, Kistler shared her personal story of God saving her from drugs and an attempt to take her life to encourage students who were anxious and doubtful about continuing their education.
Students were honored for their outstanding achievements April 25 at SWU’s Central campus during the 2017 Student Leadership Awards Dinner.