MSU students give back with Make an Impact Day 

Morehead State University students gave back through service-learning as MSU hosted its inaugural Make an Impact Day on Sept. 11-12.  

In addition to honoring the lives lost during the devastating terrorist attacks on 9/11, Sept. 11 has been transformed in recent years as communities across the nation have come together to make this a day of service. Over 1,000 first-year students participated in Make an Impact Day as part of their First-Year Seminar (FYS) course, working together on one of several service projects.  

"Our students embodied 'service-learning' as they got the opportunity to complete hands-on service projects, learn about volunteer opportunities in the area, and develop career skills through Make an Impact Day," said Andrew Sexton (Class of 2020, 2022), coordinator of service learning. "I am glad that we could work together with our community and campus partners to make this event a success – it wouldn't have been possible without them."   

Project leads and corresponding project impacts included:  

• Donating blood through the Kentucky Blood Center, totaling 89 units with the potential to impact over 250 Kentuckians.  
• Making 140 tie blankets for child patients at St. Claire HealthCare (led by MSU's Herron Leadership Scholars Program).  
• Writing 250 letters to alumni and donors of MSU scholarships showing appreciation for their financial contributions (led by Alumni Relations and Development).  
• Voter registration totaling 52 paper registrations and many online registrations (led by representatives of the County Clerk's Office).  
• Making 480 dog toys from old t-shirts to donate to local animal shelters (led by MSU's Student Government Association).  
• Planting flags in the ADUC (Adron Doran University Center) Lawn to honor those who died on 9/11 (led by MSU ROTC).  

Carson Nichols, a first-year student-athlete from Orange City, Florida, reflected on the event, saying, "Because of this unique experience, I was able to further my teamwork skills and remind myself how important it is to be involved in the community. Often, it is easy to forget how much one individual can change society, but this event reminded me just how much I can help my community. Being able to see other students also sign up to volunteer excites me for the future of Morehead and the lives that will be touched."  

"Morehead State University is proud of its designation as a community-engaged institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. We are thankful to be integrated into the Morehead community, and we certainly value our mutually beneficial relationships with community partners," said Dr. Christopher Schroeder, interim associate provost. "We believe that Make an Impact Day allowed students to learn first-hand information about volunteer opportunities so that they can continue to be engaged citizens."  

For more information about sharing volunteer or other service opportunities, contact Andrew Sexton at 606-783-5493 or servicelearning@moreheadstate.edu.    

To learn about more ways to enhance your education outside of the classroom at MSU, contact the Center for Career Development and Experiential Education at careerservices@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2233. 

Photos: Morehead State first-year students participated in the inaugural Make an Impact Day. Service-learning activities included planting flags to commemorate 9/11 (upper right) and making dog toys to donate to local animal shelters (lower left).