Wittenberg rising senior Madalyn Marsengill of Sylvania, Ohio, recently received the 2022 Charles J. Ping Student Service Award through Ohio Campus Compact, a nonprofit membership organization of 40 Ohio colleges and universities. She was officially recognized at this year’s Honors Convocation.
The annual award is presented in recognition of outstanding leadership and ability to meet the needs of the community by working in partnership with members of the community. It also recognizes the student's effort to create an organization to lead and to involve others. Ohio Campus Compact, a statewide membership organization that serves to promote community service initiatives at colleges and universities, sponsors this award. The 2022 award recipients included 10 students from across the state of Ohio.
The award is named in honor of Charles J. Ping, who served as President of Ohio University from 1975-1994. An early supporter and Board Member of Ohio Campus Compact, Ping has been a tireless advocate for campus-community partnerships and increased opportunities for students to become active and engaged citizens. Candidates are nominated by the president of their college or university.
Marsengill has been involved with the Wittenberg Campus Cupboard, a campus food pantry offering free food and hygiene items, and has helped to create “Little Cupboards” around the Springfield area, parts of which have been designated as a food desert.
“With two grocery stores recently closed, the closest store for a Wittenberg student is at least a 30-minute walk,” Marsengill wrote in her application letter. “In my first year of college, I got involved in the Wittenberg Campus Cupboard, which at that point was a small pantry that students could grab snacks at on their way to class, some microwavable meals, and hygiene products. In my second year at Wittenberg, I worked to create a new and bigger cupboard space with other volunteers. We got a whole unit of a house to dedicate to the cupboard.”
“In the last two years, I have worked on maintaining our original little cupboard space, our new big cupboard, adding clothes to the big cupboard, creating a garden, developing a little pantry program, and creating a food insecurity simulator,” she stated. “Of course, I could not do all of these projects myself and got a lot of help, but I was able to help lead them and develop them to create more resources for Wittenberg students and the Springfield community. I believe that my projects at the Campus Cupboard have had a big impact on the community, Wittenberg, and me personally.”
Being able to help the community has empowered Marsengill to believe that small things can make a big change. Through her projects at the Campus Cupboard, she has become even more dedicated and passionate in the fight against food insecurity in her community.
“Each outstanding student nominated for this recognition embodies the mission of Ohio Campus Compact by contributing to the civic and community engagement of students on their campuses and active involvement in the community,” said Richard Kinsley, executive director, Ohio Campus Compact. “We are impressed by Maddy’s accomplishments and commend Wittenberg for supporting the important work of developing civically and community engaged students on your campus.”
About Ohio Campus Compact:
Ohio Campus Compact is a statewide non-profit coalition of 40 college and university presidents and their campuses working to promote and develop the civic purposes of higher education. Learn more about the Ping recipients at https://ohiocampuscompact.org/awards/student-awards/ or for information on Ohio Campus Compact, email admin@ohiocampuscompact.org.
