The Public Service Award: I Got It !!!

The Public Service Award and How I become popular in one night

“The ultimate expression of generosity is not in giving of what you have, but in giving of who you are.”
                                                                               Johnnetta B. Cole

The Humphrey Fellowship Program 2011-2012 has nearly ended by 15 June 2012. 

Before Humphrey fellows separately moved to do their professional affiliations either locally or non-locally, the staff of the Institute of International Education (IIE) organized the “Year-End Retreat Program” for fellows to network and to close the program officially. I was like other fellows who would like to come to meet friends before heading home.  However, it turned out that it became the most memorable night in the U.S. that I had ever had.

While talking with friends in front of the conference room before the ceremony started, Laurence, the IIE staff, came to ask me if I would like to get “The Public Service Award”.  At first, I couldn’t hear well so I asked her to say it again. 

Wow!! I couldn’t believe what I heard! I had got “The Public Service Award”, which aims to honor the outstanding fellow who has committed and made an impact to the community during his/her stay in the U.S.!

And it was only I who received it. Such an honor award!  Penny, the coordinator from Tulane University, who announced this award, told other 203 fellows from 93 countries that since the Humphrey Fellowship Program’s establishment from 1978, this was the first time in its history that IIE gave this award to fellows. The award included the certificate signed by the director of Humphrey Fellowship Program and chief, Humphrey Fellowship and Institutional Linkages Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State and $500 monetary reward. 

Fellows were also excited as no one had heard about this award before.  Later, I found that the director of the program of each host university nominated the outstanding fellows from the campus and submitted to IIE. Now, I knew why Paul, theIIE senior coordinator, recognized me when I came to introduce myself to him at the lunch table the day before the ceremony. At that time, I was surprised how he could recognize me as I did not talk to him much.  He told me, afterwards, that he saw my name from the application form that Leila my coordinator sent to IIE.

Leila wrote in her recommendation, “Nok is a remarkable Fellow who has participated in an exceptional number of volunteer opportunities during her fellowship year at Penn State.  Nok has gone out of her way to participate in each and every volunteer opportunity that has crossed her path.”

These have included, but are not limited to:

“Friday Night Lights Out’ which raised awareness among students to conserve energy in the campus

Playing Bingo with the Elderly at Elmcroft Community

Volunteering at the Penn State Football Concession Stands to fundraise for International Ministries

Beaver Stadium Recycling Program: Distributing recycling bags for tailgaters before football games

Shaver’s Creek Clean Up: Trail maintenance for outdoor education center

Santa to the senior: Wrapping gifts party

Food for Somalia: Packing food in an assembly line to send to Somalia

Making holiday crafts with the elderly at the Centre Crest Nursing Home

Volunteering at the Discovery Space Science Museum of Central Pennsylvania

Etc.

My involvement in so many service opportunities has reached a wide audience in the local community; people of all ages and backgrounds have benefited from my volunteer spirit and passion for helping others.

I have inspired other Fellows at Penn State to participate in volunteer projects that I have done myself.  My coordinator expects this “leadership by example’ model to continue and to thrive when I return home to Thailand. 

As a consequence of this award, some Fellows came to talk and share ideas with me.  Interestingly, the frequent question I got was how I could manage my time to do a lot of voluntary activities.

 Gladly, some would like to have some collaboration with me. For example, Tam, Vietnam, who would do a project to promote women leadership in her country, told me that we could have done some exchange project together in the near future.

Peter, the coordinator from the Cornell University, wanted to do 2-month student exchange in Southeast Asian Country and he thought of Thailand after talking about the possibility of looking for homestay and host family in agricultural areas with me.

Tommy, Indonesia, planned to do a community development program in Indonesia and wanted his local staff to learn and shared with Thai community.

To give it back to the American community, I gave $ 100 ash to Leila, who would help me donate this amount of money to the United Way in Pennsylvania. I also plan to give $100 to a poor student in Thaksin University where I work, probably on the Teacher's Day. The award is also a big gift for me to take home, so I should give away some amount of money as gifts to other needy people. 

I would like to end that the spirit of volunteerism can start from ordinary people, we do not need to wait till we get wealthy to help others; it would be great to start from now.  Even small effort can make a difference.

"Volunteers polish up the rough spots in our communities."
                                             Jefferson Award Winner Alice Sandstrom