From the Nominator

Hurricane Helene was the worst natural disaster to ever hit the mountains of North Carolina, and the state’s largest university immediately went into action to provide relief aid, agricultural solutions, and housing for those most affected. Most of that work was performed by faculty and staff, with students mostly relegated to conducting food and clothing drives for the area. Thanks to NC State’s vibrant Alternative Service Break (ASB) program, which for 20 years has sent dozens of groups of students all over the world to work on much-needed service projects during designated school breaks, a special ASB option was created for students to spend a week doing Hurricane Helene recovery work. This ASB project was suggested and led by a couple who had met on an ASB trip to the Dominican Republic 20 years earlier when they were NC State students. Because the husband, a physician, is from that area and their family currently lives not far from the most heavily affected parts of the state, the couple wanted to help NC State students pitch in with recovery efforts. They played a significant role in organizing the trip and identifying places that needed the most help for the group of eight students and staff who volunteered for the week. The writer immediately identified this as an opportunity to participate in an initiative that was part critical recovery, part alumni giving, part student service, and part love story.

From the Judges

We appreciated the variety of perspectives represented throughout the submission and how clearly the stories connected back to the impact of giving. Individual narratives were effectively tied to the broader mission and purpose of the university. The piece resonated well with its target audience, and the storytelling moved beyond the usual higher education narratives, making the submission feel both refreshing and meaningful.