Franklin Pierce University is scheduled to hold its 12th annual Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Service Awards Tuesday night, in conjunction with the university’s 60th anniversary celebrations that will be lasting throughout the year.
“It has really embodied who we are in our educational pursuit and support at the university,” said Derek Scalia, university director of retention and diversity.
The awards recognize students who have done community work to create inclusive, welcoming and more-just communities, said Scalia. The name of the awards comes from a quote from the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., that “greatness is determined by service.”
“Our students have been working with children and the elderly, working on teaching others about their culture and experiences, assisting with reading programs,” said Scalia.
The awards will not look much different compared to previous years, despite the anniversary celebration, Scalia said, but the connection will be highlighted at the event, as this is the first signature event of the 60th anniversary to take place on the Rindge campus. More events will take place before the official anniversary in November.
“It came about to be part of the 60th commemoration to connect our students’ work and our commitment to equitable and inclusive communities as part of Pierce@60’s strategic plan,” said Scalia. “We thought that these events really married well with one another.”
The ceremony will feature Terrell Boston-Smith, a university alum and trustee, as the keynote speaker.
There will be 20 award recipients, including 17 receiving service awards and three receiving distinguished honors. All award winners will receive “Just Mercy” by Bryan Stevenson as part of the tradition of the award being a book each year.
“We read citations of each of the students and the work they have done at Franklin Pierce and in the broader community,” Scalia said. Once award-winners have been named and the awards presented, the distinguished honors recipients will speak on their work.
“Those individuals speak for a brief period of time to share why they’re doing the work that they’re doing, why this is important to who they are,” Scalia said. “It’s a really important part of the ceremony, to hear directly from our students as they share their personal connection and their passions and how they’re seeking to make a difference in the world.”
The ceremony closes with readings of excerpts from the works of past civil rights leaders.
The students being recognized include Florisbeth Joseph, a senior who has worked as a writing center tutor as a resource for Spanish-speaking students and was president of A.L.A.NA, a group on campus that works to support African American, Latino/a, Native American and Asian-American students.
Award recipient Evan Burgess is a senior who was an original member of the Justice in Action Athletic Alliance on campus, which seeks to fight injustice on campus and promote an inclusive and accepting campus environment. Burgess is also captain of the football team, and has worked through J.A.A.A to develop a relationship with the Rindge Police Department on issues surrounding law enforcement.
All students are told in advance of the awards. The process begins with a nomination from faculty, staff or a fellow student, followed by a submission of a letter from the nominees about the work that they are doing. From there, a committee selects the winners.
Scalia said the award goes beyond academics, although often the two are combined.
“We can give out awards for academic achievement, and we do and that’s wonderful, and there’s something about the synergy between their academic prowess and then giving back to their community that just creates a deep excitement within me and so many who attend the event,” he said.
Scalia added that the awards are very important to him and to the university as a whole, based on what they represent.
“These awards ceremonies are incredibly moving,” he said. “There’s a lot of really hard issues that are around us, and to hear how our students in seemingly small ways and also great ways, their stories are connected to one another, and they’re making a real difference.”