Record Number of Saints Win National Community Service Awards

Service to others is central to the Canterbury experience, and 14 of our students took that to another level. We salute these extraordinary servant leaders recently honored with national Community Service Awards from the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) and InnerView—the most Saints ever to receive these awards!

The Community Service Awards program is open to all U.S. students and designed to connect their community service activities, skill development, and commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to transform our world. The Kroger Co. also presents the Zero Hero Awards to students for taking action to help create communities free of hunger and waste.

These Saints epitomize what it means to value service over self:

Ambassador Awards
100 hours of service & 12 activities
Edmund Ackell ’24
Ruari Bamrick ’24
Nicholas Ciampi ’24
Shaun McKenna ’24
Gia Mulheren ’24
Alexander Olcese ’23
Charles Phillips ’23
Liam TeeKing ’23
Adam Zarif ’23
Michael Zarif ’23

Honor Awards
40 hours of service & 8 activities 
Anne Melich ’23
Sylvia Pinheiro ’24
Catherine Zeng ’25

Merit Award
25 hours of service & 4 activities
Lily LaVigne ’23

Zero Hero Awards
Ruari Bamrick ’24
Shaun McKenna ’24
Sylvia Pinheiro ’24
Catherine Zeng ’25

Tracy Garcia-LaVigne P ’14, ’16, ’17, ’20, ’23, Director of The D’Amour Center for Faith, Service, & Justice, was thrilled for our recipients. “The InnerView model of service recognition aligns with our philosophy of service learning at Canterbury. Through this program, our students are able to connect their work with the UN’s SDGs and see where they are making an impact in the world around them,” Tracy said. “So many are involved in community outreach, sustainability, and social justice in diverse and impactful ways. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and commitment to serving others.” 

How much of an impact did these students have?

• They participated in 237 activities—from volunteering their time to securing donations to leadership efforts—totaling 1,626 service hours. That averages out to well over 100 service hours per student!

• UNA-USA calculated Canterbury’s total community impact value as a remarkable $56,196.

• Collectively, the students supported 10 of the organization’s 17 SDGs—No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health & Well-Being, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities & Communities, Climate Action, Life on Land, and Peace, Justice, & Strong Institutions.

Impressive work, indeed! True to the spirit of these awards, Nick suggested the message behind the honor is even more important than receiving it. “This award is meaningful because it shows the positive impact that one person’s efforts can make on the world around them,” he explained. “Community service work is important to me—to give back to others, spread hope and love, and inspire others to do the same.” 

And Gia credits the School for encouraging students to take up the service mantle. “Canterbury provides so many opportunities for service, I feel it would be a disservice to others and myself not to take the chance to create meaningful change,” she said. “This award allows me to look back and feel that I made a positive difference in the community.”

Making a difference is what drives UNA-USA, a grassroots movement of Americans who support the vital work of the United Nations in U.S. communities, colleges, and Congress, and InnerView, the leading and most equitable youth social responsibility platform to help students, groups, and schools highlight community service impact, passion for causes, skill development, and connecting local efforts to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Congratulations to our student recipients for advancing this important work.