Sister Olivette Whalen, CSC Award for General Service
Haley Van Der Linden, center, recipient of the
Sister Olivette Whalen, CSC Award for General
Service, and the professor who nominated her,
Kurt Buhring, right. College President Carol
Ann Mooney is pictured on the left.The Sister Olivette Whalen, CSC Award for General Service is awarded each year to a Saint Mary’s student who has served the College and the community in multifaceted ways. I’m very pleased to introduce this year’s winner, Haley Van Der Linden '13. During the spring 2012 semester, Haley worked with St. Margaret’s House, a day center in downtown South Bend that provides a safe and caring community for women. Despite being limited by a serious knee injury, Haley was committed to working for St. Margaret’s from campus for the first part of the semester; in the second part of the semester, Haley had the opportunity to serve the women at the Center in a variety of ways, including preparing and sharing meals and conversations with the guests.
Haley has also been active with Saint Mary’s Environmental Action Coalition since her first year on campus, serving as Club president this year. Under Haley’s leadership this year, SMEAC has carried out several programs, including making sleeping bags out of recycled items for donation, raising public awareness of endangered species through film screenings, promoting the purchase of locally grown products through trips to the farmers’ market, and coordinating the annual weigh-your-waste program in the dining hall this month.
Through these activities, and others, Haley has served the College, the community, and the world in meaningful and important ways.
~Citation read by Kurt Buhring, associate professor of religious studies, at Volunteer Service Awards Dinner, April 9, 2013.