Student Recognized for Volunteer Service

University of Scranton student Taegan Mills, Montrose, received the President’s Volunteer Service Award Bronze Medal in recognition of 100 hours of service that occurred during summer 2022. The award was established in 2003 by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. 

Led by the AmeriCorps and managed in partnership with Points of Light, this program allows certifying organizations to recognize their most exceptional volunteers. Mills was certified through the University’s Center for Service and Social Justice with the support of Center’s director, Pat Vaccaro, and with the support of her mentor, Barbara King, student life coordinator at the University.

Mills is a political science and criminal justice double major with a law concentration in her sophomore year at Scranton. She is an ROTC cadet and member of the University’s golf team.

Last summer, Mills served at the Hazleton Integration Project, where she worked with immigrant children helping them develop language skills. She also introduced camp participants to a variety of sports with the intended outcome of helping the children feel more comfortable with norms and culture in the United States.

According to Mills, who has been volunteering since the age of four, service to community is very important to her family. Over the years, she has volunteered “ringing a bell for the Salvation Army, sorting food at the local food bank, sharing a passion for gymnastics with children, collecting cans for those in need, and helping kids address academic challenges through tutoring.”