Pay It Forward program places University of Akron students into charitable organizations

Sandy Naragon, a volunteer and board member for Rebuilding Together, recalls a local woman who had to heat water over her stove and lug it in pans upstairs in order to take a warm bath. Naragon, who is CEO of the Akron Area Board of Realtors and past president of Rebuilding Together’s board, said she wonders how people can live without basic amenities right under our noses.

A group of University of Akron students shared Naragon’s story and others as part of the Pay It Forward program, which was funded by United Way. The students made presentations on behalf of four nonprofits to a panel of judges, vying for a $4,000 grant to the winning organization. The young presenters say they gained some valuable real-world experience working closely with the organizations and seeing first-hand the many people in the Akron area in need of basic services.

Students from Litchfield Middle School Collect Clothing and Money to Support Homeless Peers Through “Hope for the Homeless Drive”

Jacquelyn Heisler, a work & family teacher at Litchfield Middle School, wanted to give her students an opportunity to give back. Fellow Litchfield work & family teacher, Debbie Casanova, also offered this opportunity to her students. Heisler read a newspaper article on Project RISE and learned that last year, the number of students in the Akron school district officially labeled “homeless” jumped to 951.

That high number struck a cord with her and she shared that information with her students. Heisler explained: “I shared this with my students and we decided to design a drive that could help our fellow students through this difficult time in their lives." The students voted and the “Hope for the Homeless Drive” was born. Students collected clothing and financial donations from their fellow students and staff members.

They were able to collect more than $340 and at least 15 garbage bags full of clothing for Project RISE. Debra Manteghi, project RISE program manager, will use the extra funds to help students displaced from their homes get transportation to school. The clothing will be stored in the Project RISE clothing room at Trinity United Church of Christ. Students and families experiencing homelessness can access this room with a referral from Manteghi.

The University of Akron's School of Communication recently hosted its first annual speech contest at the Martin Center. Nearly 300 faculty, family and fellow students listened as the top five general education speech students gave polished and professional presentations April 24. The untimely "popping" of a balloon in the room did not faze the speaker who had the microphone at the time.

Dr. Elizabeth Graham, director and professor, School of Communication, welcomed those in attendance to the competition and stated it was a way for students to practice and polish their speaking skills. Master of Ceremonies, Dr. John Zipp, associate dean, Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences, spoke of the benefits of speech courses as a requirement in each degree curriculum.

Presenters were judged on delivery, content, organization and their visual aid presentation. Each speaker clearly demonstrated that she or he had spent much time researching their respective topics. Content ranged from hard data and statistics to whimsical and even inspirational. Each student participated in several elimination rounds before reaching the top level. Dr. Graham further stated: "Each public speaking course nominated one student. These students then competed for the five available finalist spots."

Summa Western Reserve Hospital physicians and employees recently visited Richardson Elementary School students to discuss hospital careers and the importance of teamwork within a hospital setting. Throughout the month, employees from across a broad scope of hospital departments, including medical staff, maintenance, marketing, quality improvement, sleep medicine, graduate medical education, speech pathology, nursing and food services, met with students to talk about their career field and how they work with others in the hospital to provide collaborative care for patients.

“It is never too early to expose students to the multitude of career opportunities that exist, and doing so by partnering with businesses in our community makes the experience even more relevant,” said Dr. Todd M. Nichols, superintendant and CEO, Cuyahoga Falls City Schools. “Ensuring our students are both career and college ready is our first job, and requires a rigorous blend of both traditional academics and exposure to real-world employment environments. The partnership with Summa Western Reserve Hospital provides students with a glimpse at the broad range of jobs available in a single-setting, and is a great way to motivate them toward our goal of readiness.”