DWC Student Recipient of “Presidents’ Leadership Award”

North Granville, NY’s Nicholas (Nic) Rathbun has been named recipient of the “Presidents’ Leadership Award” to be awarded April 17, 2007, by the Campus Compact for New Hampshire.

As a social science major at Daniel Webster College, Nashua, NH, Rathbun has made “service” an integral component of his college experience through his work with the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter.

As a social science sophomore, he said, he has become very interested in the greater problems in society.

“I had no idea of the problems that homeless people faced, and I certainly had no idea that there were so many homeless people in the great city of Nashua.”

When the opportunity arose for his social science practicum, “I knew that I wanted to work for the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter.” He has worked at the Kinsley Street Shelter since January.

“I have learned so much about the issues the homeless face, but I have also learned a lot about the people who work there and those who volunteer their time to assist the homeless on a daily basis.”

Said a Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter director, “Nic has deepened his understanding of social issues through his service and his brought to his work and the clients he serves a tremendous spirit of support and respect.”

Like internships and other forms of experiential “hands on” learning, service learning is an important part of the Daniel Webster education is incorporated into the curriculum across all of disciplines. It is a method of experiential education through which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs to broaden their appreciation of their discipline, further understand course content, and enhance their sense of civic responsibility.

“Without service learning, the simple facts of a textbook would mean much less for me,” said Rathbun. “The actual experience of working weekly at a shelter and interacting with people, rather than reading about them, has helped me to develop a better understanding of the issues in the social sciences, while applying what I learn in the classroom.”

Founded in 1965, Daniel Webster is a student-focused independent college with a primary concentration on experiential learning. Daniel Webster College's innovative programs include aviation, business and management, computer science, engineering, and social and behavioral sciences.