Eastern Florida Student Recognized for Volunteer Service

Nikki Linder, an Eastern Florida State College student involved in the college’s Service-Learning program, has received the Brevard County Star Award for her volunteer work with the county government system.

The award was presented Jan. 27 by County Manager Stockton Whitten at a meeting of the Brevard County Commission.

Linder began volunteering with Brevard County's Risk Management Department last year to satisfy her volunteer requirement for a Service-Learning class taught by Assistant Professor Michelle Morris.  

She performed administrative duties such as record keeping, coordination between departments, creating safety manuals and archiving for the Risk Management, Finance and Industrial Hygiene Departments.

“Linder has provided more than 200 hours of volunteer service and participated in many noteworthy projects,” said Evelyn Young, director of Service-Learning at Eastern Florida. “These projects include fundraising for the Fisher House at Keesler Air Force Base, assisting Keesler’s military families after Hurricane Katrina, organizing the Patriot Family Network and teaching health and fitness classes at Westover Air Reserve Base.

“She has also assisted with Ryan Rust’s “Adopt a Hero” program that supports deployed military members. She served as the vice president of the North Georgia Mounted Search and Rescue, through which she became Florida State Director with the Cue Center for Missing Persons.”  

Currently, Linder serves as the Bravo Squad Leader with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse.

Community service is a way of life for Linder who began volunteering at the age of eight, shelving books at the Brewerton Free Library in New York where her mother was a library director.

“I have found that volunteering helps you meet new people, exposes you to new opportunities, and helps you network professionally,” she said.

Linder is scheduled to graduate from Eastern Florida in June with an Associate in Arts degree. She plans to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management with a concentration in Risk Management from the University of Central Florida.  

She also intends to continue to volunteer with Brevard County Risk Management.

Linder is not alone in her service to the local community. In 2014, more than 5,000 Eastern Florida students volunteered more than 240,000 community service hours.

For more information on Service-Learning, visit easternflorida.edu or contact Evelyn Young at 321-433-5610 or younge@easternflorida.edu