TAMIU Student Earns National Volunteer Award
The holiday season has always been a special time for Mariana Rodríguez.
While children spent time writing their letters to Santa Claus, Rodríguez spent her time collecting gifts and donating them to local community groups organizing toy drives for children.
Years later, Rodríguez, now a sophomore marketing major at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), continues to give back to her community and helps those in need in a tremendous way.
Rodríguez is the recipient of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, a distinction that recognizes individuals who have completed over 4,000 community service hours during their lifetime.
She has recorded 10,149 community service hours completed through various community organizations, including the Laredo Center for the Arts, the Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau, Volunteers Serving the Need, Serving Children and Adults in Need (SCAN), Tapitas Por Una Sonrisa, Angeles Sin Fronteras, and others.
She completed community service opportunities in student organizations, such as the League of Empowered Women, the University Honors Program, the Project Pengyou Club, and at the Big Event, an annual, University-wide service learning opportunity.
She credits her capacity to serve as a result of the values and attitudes instilled within her by her parents and calls on her peers to commit themselves to engage and serving their local community.
“I encourage my fellow students to complete community service hours. By helping and giving back to your community, you’re also making a difference in the world,” said Rodríguez.
The University’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement (SCEE) spearheads community and volunteer projects to assist organizations in Laredo and the South Texas region. Their efforts aim to instill a commitment to helping those in need while supplementing leadership and critical-thinking skills.
Since 2010, TAMIU students have volunteered over 246,642 hours of their time to serving in local, statewide, and global projects, with an equivalent monetary impact of $5,426,121.
Students are able to choose volunteer opportunities that suit their interests and passions through an existing database of agencies and organizations.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency and Points of Light, the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteerism. Launched in 2003, the service award recognizes the importance of volunteers and their service to the nation.
To learn more about the volunteer efforts by students at TAMIU and the Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement, visit: http://www.tamiu.edu/scce/ces.shtml, call 956.326.2265 or email scce@tamiu.edu.
Information is also available on the University’s social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube @txamiu.
Fall registration information is available from the TAMIU Office of the Registrar at 956.326.2250, by email at registrar@tamiu.edu, or by visiting offices in the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center, 121. Fall classes begin Tuesday, Aug. 28.
Additional information is available at tamiu.edu and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
