Springfield, Ohio – Educating the mind to understand and educating the heart to care are just a few concepts Wittenberg students take with them upon graduation.

Camila Quinones of Sunbury, Ohio, has already grasped these concepts by founding “The Hero Project”, a student organization and online newsletter celebrating everyday heroes, unifying her passion for the English language and being dedicated to the service of others.

“I want (The Hero Project) to be a positive light on campus, and I want people to read stories about people making a difference,” said Quinones, who plans to graduate in 2017. “I believe everyone has the ability to be a hero. And hopefully, it will inspire others to make a difference in the world.”

The Hero Project was officially registered as a student organization at Wittenberg in 2014 when Quinones was a sophomore. An English major and avid writer, Quinones serves as a Writing Center advisor and composes articles for The Odyssey – so it seemed natural for The Hero Project to take on primarily a written format. The stories are posted as a blog online and feature various heroes from campus and beyond. Past posts have featured Lauren Hill, the inspirational Mount St. Joseph University basketball player fighting a terminal illness, the students who started Wittenberg’s chapter of National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), and Updog Clothing, a philanthropic clothing company launched by Wittenberg junior Josh Marks.

By highlighting these everyday heroes, Quinones aims to inspire others, even in times of darkness.

“I think sometimes we can become wrapped up in the negative things happening on campus,” she said. “Wittenberg is filled with compassionate people who feel the hurt of not only our campus and community, but also the problems of the world.”

Although Quinones admits that sometimes it’s hard to balance a full-time course load, volleyball practices and extracurricular activities like Athletes in Action, she’s learned a lot about starting a new organization and how to keep it running. Despite the challenges of being a highly involved student in addition to running The Hero Project, Quinones knows that her organization resonates with the Wittenberg community.

“I can’t think of another campus full of people who want to change the world,” she said. “There are so many stories to tell at Wittenberg, and I'm always in awe of how many ways people are making a difference. When your organization is all about highlighting heroes, it's important to have an eclectic group to choose from. Wittenberg is the perfect place to find those heroes.”

Quinones credits Wittenberg for changing her life and providing her with diverse and engaging opportunities to help her realize her passions.

“I’ve had the opportunity to see my passions come to life by starting an organization,” she said. “I’ve been encouraged to chase my dreams and I’ve been shown the ways I can change the world. Wittenberg might be a small school, but the people here have helped me see that I can make a big difference in the world.”

Quinones hopes to grow The Hero Project in the coming semesters and extend the reach of the organization by planning events on campus to bring the project from the page to life.

“We have several ideas for the future in addition to our newsletters; we want those to be our top priority, and making sure they come out on a regular basis is our biggest job,” Quinones said. “A campus-wide event, a bigger presence on social media, and an end-of-the-year banquet are all on our radar for the future, but basically, we want the future to still be about celebrating heroes.”

Quinones’ mission is simple, stressing that “sometimes we need to see there are people making a real difference around us. Sometimes we all need to remember to pass the light.”

The Hero Project meets Tuesday nights at 8:30 p.m. in Hollenbeck Hall Room 131. Quinones can be reached by email at cquinones@wittenberg.edu. Read the stories at www.heroprojectblog.wordpress.com.