Elon University junior Kayla Hicken received a North Carolina Campus Compact Community Impact Student Award last month during the Compact’s student conference at Western Carolina University.
Twenty-seven college students across the state received the fourth annual award for making significant, innovative contributions to their campus’ efforts to address local community needs.
Sylva councilwoman Stacy Knotts and the Compact’s Executive Director, Lisa Keyne, presented the awards before an audience of more than 220 college students and guests representing 24 higher education institutions. Hicken also received a Volunteer Certificate of Appreciation from Gov. Beverly Perdue and a congratulatory letter from Rep. Heath Shuler.
Hicken, a communications major from Kennett Square, Pa., lived in Elon’s Service Learning Community as a first-year student. She is now the director of the Service Learning Community and advises its leadership team on reflection, community building, connecting service to academics and planning meaningful projects that meet identified community needs.
Hicken is active in Elon Volunteers!, Epsilon Sigma Alpha service sorority, NC Campus Compact’s Student Advisory Board and Elon’s Social Entrepreneurship Scholars. As a Social Entrepreneurship Scholar, she is currently proposing a program that addresses intolerance and discrimination against Latino immigrants in Alamance County.
North Carolina Campus Compact is a statewide coalition of higher education presidents and chancellors established to encourage and support campus engagement in the community.