TCNJ News
For Immediate Release
January 31, 2004
TCNJ Student Wins Outstanding College Student Award
Ewing , NJ .Sandra Kim (West Milford , NJ), president of The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter, has been recognized as an "Outstanding College Student Volunteer" by Hands On Helpers, a non-profit online volunteer resource for Mercer County.
Kim, a chemistry major, was nominated for the award by the campus chapter's advisor Nino Scarpati. "Sandra immediately came to my mind because of her work ethic, initiative, and energy," said Scarpati, who is a member of the Hands On Helpers board. "During her presidency, she has helped to make Habitat one of the most successful organizations on campus. Sandra has been outstanding in inspiring other students and getting other people involved. I'm very proud of her leadership abilities and the way she works with others."
Over the course of Kim's presidency, the TCNJ Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter has run a series of advocacy programs to educate the community about the local problems of homelessness and substandard housing. The organization also has volunteered with the East Trenton affiliate on Saturdays to build houses for low income families. Last spring, Kim traveled to Port Huron, Michigan, with a group of student volunteers over the summer break to build homes and to help out the Habitat chapter in that community.
On November 10-11, 2003 , the club organized the "Sleep Out to Speak Out Against Homelessness" in which 30 people, 14 of which were Habitat members, slept outside overnight to raise awareness about the plight of the homeless. The event was covered in the Trenton Times and also by several of the areas broadcast media.
"The event was very successful," said Kim. "We hoped to inform the campus community about the local problems of substandard housing and inspire others to help. During the event, we accepted both monetary and non-perishable food donations from the students, faculty and staff, collecting over $100 dollars in donations and over 50 pounds of food, which we then gave to the East Trenton Habitat Food Pantry. By the end of the semester, we were able to donate $500 to East Trenton."
The Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter also has been recognized by TCNJ when they received the 2002-2003 Outstanding Student Program Award for "Habitat Homeless Hotel".
While Kim's presidency will soon come to an end, she is excited about the things the club hopes to accomplish in the future. "The next executive board seems eager to increase the amount of service the chapter provides," said Kim. "The chapter has scheduled visits with Lifelines and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen over the next semester." During this year's spring break, she and several members of the club will be traveling to Kentucky to help build houses for a week-long Collegiate Challenge.
After Kim graduates from TCNJ, she intends to earn her PhD in chemistry and eventually become a professor. She is proud of what she has accomplished in her time with The College of New Jersey Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter and believes that the organization will be able to continue with their success.
About The College of New Jersey
TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 "Most Competitive" schools in the nation by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges, is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report, and is one of Kiplinger's Personal Finance's top educational values in the country. In 2006, the College joined an elite group of institutions when it was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Fewer than 10 percent of the nation's colleges and universities share this honor.
