What is the Spirit of Service Scholar Program?
A Service Scholarship
The Spirit of Service Scholarship is given to a group of students that have good academic standing and have an outstanding record of volunteer activity in their high school, church, and/or community. The award can be added to any existing Marymount merit scholarship and renewed each academic year. Below are the expectations of all Spirit of Service Scholars:
By the end of each semester, scholars must complete 60 hours of community service. Throughout the academic year, the Saints’ Center for Service will send information about volunteer opportunities (virtual and in-person) and regularly update our MU Engage page with volunteer events and opportunities. The Saints’ Center for Service is also available for one-on-one consultations to help you identify volunteer opportunities that are the best fit for your interests, academic studies, and professional career goals.
Scholars are responsible for documenting their volunteer hours weekly using MU Engage. Details will be provided in orientation on how to utilize MU Engage for documenting hours, finding volunteer opportunities, and signing up for events.
Scholars are expected to attend orientation in the Fall semester and the Saints’ Center for Service Celebration event in the Spring semester.
Participation in leadership and community engagement programming can contribute to the fulfillment of the 60 hour requirement. The Saints’ Center for Service will share these types of opportunities as they are available.
Scholars may complete up to 15 hours over the summer to apply to the fall semester. Students may complete up to 15 hours over the winter break to apply to the spring semester.
Scholars must continue full-time enrollment (12 credits/semester) and remain in good academic standing (at least a 2.5 CUM GPA). Scholars must remain in good disciplinary standing.
Each semester (November/March), scholars are expected to meet with the Saints’ Center for Service team review their progress.
Scholars are expected to maintain good communication with other SOS scholars and with the Saints’ Center for Service. Scholars are encouraged to attend Saints’ Center for Service events, including the Fall Service Fair, MLK Day of Service, Volunteer Arlington Day, and Spring Celebration Event. Volunteering at these events will count towards your service hours. More information will be sent leading up to each event.
At all community service events and activities, scholars should be role models for other students present. Scholars should consider themselves ambassadors of Marymount University when in the community. While on site, all scholars are expected to use appropriate language, dress modestly, be punctual, and show respect for the dignity of all community members.
Meet the Spirit of Service Scholars
Alex DeLeaver
Senior
Alex is a senior at Marymount and has been a part of the Spirit of Service Scholar program since her freshman year at Marymount. She is studying Information Technology with a specialty in Networking and Cybersecurity and a minor in Business Administration. During her time at Marymount, she has been involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities. These activities have included being a peer mentor, the secretary for the Marymount University ACM – W (Association for Computing Machinery’s Council on Women) Student Chapter, and a Spirit of Service Scholar.
Even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she has been giving back to her community by making blankets to donate to the homeless and working with the Saints Center for Service to create this newsletter.
Reporting and Recording Hours
As a Marymount University Spirit of Service Scholar, it is important to record all of your hours. The easiest way to record all of your hours is through MU Engage. In order to access MU Engage, you should log into the My Marymount Portal, and under "Sign On Links" click on "Engage". This will take you to the home page, and it requires you to log in before you are able to record your service hours. To find out more information about how to log your service hours correctly, please click on the button below.