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Raritan Valley Community College student Alexander Lazeration of Hillsborough has been recognized for his volunteer work with the New Jersey Campus Compact (NJCC) Changebuilder Scholarship Award. The $1,000 scholarship recognizes one outstanding Changebuilder per campus.

NJCC is a statewide coalition of more than 20 colleges and universities committed to the public purposes of higher education.

While at RVCC, Lazeration has been involved in a number of service activities, and his commitment to volunteerism has continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the summer of 2020, the Engineering major has been teaching a virtual art class for clients of The Arc of Somerset County, which helps individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities and their families. He even recruited a fellow RVCC student to further assist The Arc with its popular class.

During the fall of 2020, Lazeration volunteered as a tutor for RVCC Calculus I courses, assisting other students who needed extra help during the semester. The RVCC Honors College student also has served as a peer mentor for others in the prestigious program.

While enrolled in an Introduction to Engineering course, Lazeration became involved in the College’s Service Learning program, which enables students to receive academic credit for their volunteer work. The experience helped solidify his love of service as a volunteer instructor for Bricks 4 Kidz of Hunterdon-Somerset, which provides STEM-based enrichment courses for young students.

His other service-oriented projects include presenting at EngageNJ’s “Keeping Volunteers Connected” virtual statewide conference and participating in the RVCC Service Learning department’s video on remote service. Recently, Lazeration was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award, a civil honor bestowed by the President of the United States. Lazeration plans to graduate from RVCC in May and transfer to a four-year college to study Engineering.

RVCC’s Service Learning program is nationally recognized for its commitment to the civic purposes of higher education. In 2020 it was one of only two community colleges in the U.S.—and the only New Jersey college—to receive the first Eduardo J. Padrón Award for Institutional Transformation.

Changebuilder Scholars were selected through a competitive statewide application process as part of NJCC’s AmeriCorps Changebuilders program. The initiative is designed to increase the number of civically engaged college graduates who have developed 21st-Century workplace skills by at least 5,000.

Ranked by WalletHub.com, Intelligent.com and Niche.com as the #1 community college in New Jersey, Raritan Valley Community College has been serving as an academic and cultural center for Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for over 50 years. The College has been nationally recognized for its service to the community, environmental stewardship, and commitment to diversity. It is home to a Planetarium, Science Education Institute, and an Honors College for high achieving students.

The College offers more than 90 associate degrees and certificates, as well as career training, small business assistance through the Small Business Development Center, and professional development courses. RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 9, 2021

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #81