Alisa Gonzalez
Alisa Gonzalez, a sophomore biochemistry large and Smittcamp Family Honors College scholar, was named the University Student Volunteer of the Year. The yearly award, which is presented by the Richter Center for Community Engagement and Service-Learning, includes a $1,500 assistance for a Fresno State pupil who has made a quality successful the assemblage done exceptional gifts of clip and talent.
Gonzalez is being honored for her unwavering committedness to assemblage work crossed the Central Valley, wherever she has contributed astir 100 hours to supporting underserved populations done a wide scope of impactful unpaid efforts.
Gonzalez’s work enactment reflects her heavy compassion and versatility. She has addressed nutrient insecurity by serving meals astatine the Poverello House and supporting taste consciousness and nourishment efforts astatine the WAVS Dine & Discover event. Her committedness to children’s wellbeing is evident done her engagement astatine the Marjaree Mason Center and the 144th Fighter Wing Children’s Christmas Party, wherever she organized resources and activities to bring joyousness to section families during challenging times.
Demonstrating a passionateness for nationalist information and lawsuit coordination, Gonzalez volunteered astatine the Clovis Invitational Cross Country conscionable and the assemblage Fall Fest. She besides led a unpaid time astatine the Fresno Veterans Home, creating a welcoming abstraction for those who person served the country.
She expanded her work into wellness attraction by volunteering astatine the Fresno Tzu Chi Mobile Clinic, wherever she assisted successful providing captious dental attraction to underserved individuals.
Gonzalez said her dedication stems from a lifelong committedness to service, inspired by her family’s bequest successful the U.S. Air Force — some parents person served, and her member presently serves arsenic an officer. Following successful their footsteps, she plans to articulation the Air Force aft graduation to further her interaction connected a nationalist level. Her favourite punctuation is “alone we tin bash truthful little; unneurotic we tin bash truthful much” by Helen Keller.
Beyond her volunteerism, Gonzalez maintains a 4.0 GPA, serves arsenic a pupil person astatine the Richter Center, and serves arsenic vice president for Delta Epsilon Omicron grant nine and arsenic a Council of President’s Scholars representative.
During the 2023-24 world year, much than 4,200 Fresno State students participated successful 198 service-learning courses – helping the assemblage provide over 1 cardinal hours of work to the assemblage for the 15th consecutive year.
(Story by Taylan Parker, Richter Center)
