Students all have a way of leaving their mark on a college. But every now and there is one who particularly reminds us that a life well-lived can entail getting one's hands dirty in the struggle to cultivate human dignity through direct service and through citizen advocacy.
Struggling with the strange and awkward transition of going to college, our recipient almost left Saint Anselm College before classes began. As the story goes, she beat her parents home on moving-in day. But she returned, and this College and this community are so very grateful that she did.
Asked to take on just one volunteer assignment and to mentor just one juvenile offender, she said yes and changed her life forever. Giving selflessly of her time to that one person, she quickly became an advocate for many, one who saw promise in the faces of the disenfranchised, the incarcerated, the homeless, the sick, and the poor. Becoming a program coordinator at the New Hampshire Youth Development Center, she balanced a challenging academic life with an equally challenging commitment to service; and she successfully enlisted others in her crusade to make a difference. Named Assistant Director of the Meelia Center for Community Service in her junior year, our recipient managed a team of 45 student service leaders and assistants, serving nearly 50 social service agencies. Through it all, she always found time for the personal visits with those she served, ever with her legendary smile and unshakable belief that one person can make a difference.
Because her passion for people is as contagious as the sparkle in her eyes, because her faith is strong, and because she balanced the power of her education with the power of her heart, Saint Anselm College is pleased to present this first award for service and citizenship to a member of the Class of 2004, a Criminal Justice major from Worcester, Massachusetts, Elizabeth Ann Condron.
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