MSU students make an impact in community service
Morehead State University hosted its third annual Make an Impact Day on Sept. 8 and 9, engaging all first-year students through their First-Year Seminar (FYS) course.
Designed as a cornerstone experience, Make an Impact Day helps prepare students to become active, engaged citizens who contribute meaningfully to their communities. By connecting classroom learning to purposeful action, the event allows first-year students to witness the tangible difference they can make when they come together in service.
“Service reminds us that even the smallest actions can ripple outward to create lasting change,” said Andrew Sexton (Class of 2020, 2022), coordinator of service learning. “Through experiences like Make an Impact Day, students not only contribute to the well-being of their communities but also develop essential career skills—such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving—that will serve them throughout their lives. The partnerships forged with our community and campus collaborators further strengthen these efforts, transforming individual acts of service into sustained, collective impact that endures well beyond a single day.”
Over 1,000 students participated in Make an Impact Day, working together to complete multiple service projects to benefit MSU’s service region. Included below are the respective project leads and corresponding project impacts:
- Filling backpacks with school supplies, led by MSU’s Office of Student Activities; almost 500 backpacks were donated to the local Rowan County Schools to benefit students from elementary to high school.
- Donating blood through the Kentucky Blood Center; total of 93 units donated with potential to impact the lives of 279 Kentuckians.
- Making tie blankets, led by MSU’s Herron Leadership Scholars Program; over 100 tie blankets made for child patients at UK St. Claire.
- Writing letters to alumni and donors of MSU scholarships, led by Alumni Relations & Development; nearly 300 letters sent out in appreciation of their financial contributions.
- Voter registration, led by representatives of Rowan County Clerk’s Office; over 100 students registered to vote.
- Making patriotic keychains/bracelets, led by MSU’s Student Government Association; almost 300 keychains/bracelets were made and donated to the Rowan County Veteran’s Museum.
- Planting flags in front of the Camden-Carroll Library, led by MSU ROTC; countless flags planted in honor of those who lost their lives on 9/11.
Many community partners attended the event to share information about ongoing volunteer opportunities available to students.
“Make an Impact Day provided Gateway House the opportunity to engage with students, helping raise awareness for homelessness in our area,” said Anthony Criswell (Class of 2013), Targeted Case Manager for the Gateway Homeless Coalition. “This event provided an opportunity for Gateway House to also recruit volunteers for our annual food drive which will ensure the homeless in our area have food for the next few months.”
This year’s Make an Impact Day was made possible through the financial support of two AmeriCorps grants that underscored the value of MSU’s approach to service learning. The Volunteer Generation Fund EngageKY+ grant, provided by EngageKY, and a grant sponsored by the Community Engaged Alliance in partnership with 9/11 Day, supplied crucial funding to expand the scope and impact of the event.
These resources enabled the university to provide service project supplies, support coordination efforts, and strengthen partnerships with local organizations, ensuring that student contributions reach deeply into the surrounding community.
For more information on how to share volunteer opportunities or collaborate on service projects, please contact Sexton at 606-783-5493 or via email at servicelearning@moreheadstate.edu.
To learn more about Morehead State University’s Center for Career Development & Experiential Education, email careerservices@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2233.
