Business students honored for commitment to community service

The LSB Honor Roll for Social Responsibility was created in 2012 to give recognition to business students who are serving the local community through student organizations, university-sponsored trips, class activities and the Kernodle Center for Service Learning and Community Engagement.

This year 66 undergraduate business students each completed at least 20 hours of community service during the fall semester.

One of the goals of the LSB is to develop highly responsible business professionals who are engaged civically and socially.

“In addition to the satisfaction gained by serving others, LSB students show that they understand the value of service and their responsibility to contribute to the greater society in a variety of different ways,” said Stacy Outlaw, director of undergraduate programs for the LSB. “These students get into the habit of serving others that will motivate them to continue their volunteerism throughout their business careers.”

Students completed volunteer hours by coaching children’s sports teams, planning marketing strategies for local businesses, and serving various campus organizations.

Maria Restuccio ’15, an international economics major from Columbus, Ohio, served as a coach for the Alamance County Special Olympics swim team.

“The team

experience for me has been so rewarding because of the relationships that I have made with our athletes,” Restuccio said. “Being a part of the Special Olympics family makes coaching practice so much fun, and the athletes bring genuine joy to everyone involved.”

Students also went on university-sponsored trips to other parts of the state to volunteer in local communities.

Chris Pacitto ’17 went on an alternative break trip through the Kernodle Center to Asheville, N.C. to volunteer at a local charter school and learn about the education system in North Carolina. Pacitto is a management major from Reading, Mass.

“It was extremely rewarding learning about how this school was surviving and why some North Carolina public elementary schools are struggling,” Pacitto said.

Jacqueline Orr ’16, a management major from Pittsburgh, helped stock the food pantry at the Salvation Army in Burlington.

“Seeing the people come in to pick up their food made me realize just how much these people rely on the food pantry,” Orr said. “Food is something many people, including myself, take for granted, and it was enlightening to see just how blessed I am.”

The LSB Honor Roll for Social Responsibility hopes to distinguish even more students in the next several years by expanding the program.

“We look forward to recognizing an even greater number of LSB students next semester who work hard to embrace the value of being socially responsible business professionals,” Outlaw said.