LSU Awards 26 Seniors the Engaged Citizen Medal

BATON ROUGE – The Center for Community Engagement, Learning, and Leadership (CCELL), in conjunction with LSU Campus Life, is pleased to announce that 26 seniors will graduate with the Engaged Citizen distinction for Spring 2024. Students were recognized and awarded medals in a ceremony on Tuesday, May 14 on the LSU campus.

Collectively, the Spring 2024 graduates have earned 309 service-learning credit hours and have volunteered approximately 3,254 hours across their local communities during their academic tenure at LSU. Some of this cohort’s volunteer opportunities include working with campus entities such as the LSU Food Pantry, LSU AgMagic, Project 225, and Geaux BIG Baton Rouge.

Their individual engagement efforts also extend off-campus with organizations such as the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS), Baton Rouge General, Companion Animal Alliance, and several East Baton Rouge Parish schools.

“We are incredibly proud of our first cohort of graduates to span eight different senior colleges. They completed service-learning coursework during their time at LSU in many different academic departments and went above and beyond to work alongside a range of community organizations while pursuing their degrees,” CCELL director Dr. Sarah Becker said.

CCELL and LSU Campus Life established the Engaged Citizen Program to support and recognize the accomplishments of undergraduate students who engage significantly with their communities to address critical community needs. Any undergraduate student can apply to be a part of the program.

“Graduates with the Engaged Citizens Distinction have dedicated over 3200 hours to effecting positive change in their community. These individuals have shown leadership skills and made a significant impact in Baton Rouge and other areas. I am eager to see how these exceptional individuals will continue to create a positive impact in the world as alumni of LSU,” said Josh Finch, Director of Campus Life.

Our seniors represent eight LSU colleges and five are members of the Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College.

The Spring 2024 Engaged Citizens are:

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
Saylor Higgins
Animal Sciences with a concentration in Science and Technology
Hometown: Zachary, La.

Shadayah Muhammad

Animal Sciences
Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.

E.J. Ourso college of business
Andrea Aleman Pichardo
Marketing
Hometown: New Orleans, La.

 

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Cailynn Gerald
Biological Engineering
Hometown: Diamondhead, Miss.

 

College of HUMANITIES and SOCIAL SCIENCES
Olivia Amorando
Psychology
Hometown: Yardley, Penn.

Shay Bayer

Psychology
Hometown: Metairie, La.

Myrissa Eisworth
Dual Major in Anthropology and Sociology
Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.
Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College

Tay J. Moore
Political Science
Hometown: Ringgold, La.

Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors Colleg

Maxine Polma

Psychology

Hometown: Dallas, Texas

Bridget Seghers

Interdisciplinary Studies

Hometown: Covington, La.

Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College

 

COLLEGE OF HUMAN SCIENCES AND EDUCATION
Micah Allen

Early Childhood Education

Hometown: New Orleans, La.

Kaitlyn Calais

Child and Family Studies

Hometown: Cecilia, La.

Olivia Dornan

Elementary Education

Hometown: Arabi, La.

Kori Edgerton

Early Childhood Education

Hometown: Richmond, Va.

Emma Flucke

Early Childhood Education

Hometown: Mandeville, La.

Katie LeBlanc

Elementary Education

Hometown: Hammond, La.

Nikki LeBlanc

Early Childhood Education

Hometown: Erath, La.

Emma Phillips

Social Work

Hometown: Gonzales, La.

Kayla Razo

Kinesiology

Hometown: Houston, Texas

Yazen Zaben

Kinesiology

Hometown: Baton Rouge, La.

 

COLLEGE OF MUSIC & DRAMATIC ARTS
Tay J. Moore

Music Arts

Hometown: Ringgold, La.

Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College

 

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
Annie Dinh

Biological Sciences

Hometown: Geismar, La.

Linley Kennedy

Biological Sciences

Hometown: New Orleans, La.

Valerie Macedo

Biological Sciences

Hometown: Henderson, Texas

Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College

Emercyn McMillan

Biological Sciences

Hometown: Apple Valley, Minn.

Mina Sheikh

Biological Sciences

Hometown: Covington, La.

Roger Hadfield Ogden Honors College

 

MANSHIP SCHOOL OF MASS COMMUNICATION
Mea Morrell

Mass Communication with a concentration in Public Relations

Hometown: New Orleans, La.

To earn this distinction, the students must meet the high standards of the Engaged Citizen Program. Requirements for the semester’s cohort include completing a minimum of seven credit hours of service-learning designated coursework, a minimum of 100 hours of community service with approved organizations, and a reflective paper detailing how the work fulfills LSU’s Commitment to Community. Visit www.lsu.edu/engagedcitizens for more information about the program.

CCELL fosters the scholarship of community engagement by integrating teaching, research, and service that emphasize civic responsibility and social accountability. For more information about service-learning at LSU, visit CCELL’s website at lsu.edu/ccell. 

Campus Life works closely with more than 400 student organizations, countless student organization leaders and advisors, and is home to some of LSU's biggest traditions. The department's mission is to enhance student learning through innovative initiatives focused on the tenets of involvement, leadership, and service that enrich the LSU experience. Campus Life serves a diverse student population and strives to make LSU an increasingly vibrant campus community.

Media note: Please contact Taylor Armer (tarmer@lsu.edu) for headshots.