Ohio Campus Compact, a nonprofit membership organization of 40 Ohio colleges and universities, announces that Tovey Nederveld ‘20 is a recipient of the 2020 Charles J. Ping Student Service Award. This annual award recognizes and honors undergraduate students for their outstanding leadership and contributions to community service or service-learning on their campus and within their community.

Denison University President Adam Weinberg notes, “Tovey has been a leader of noteworthy merit and a true agent of meaningful, positive change. It is quite rare to find such a capable and compassionate person.”

A biochemistry major, Nederveld is applying for medical school. “As someone who is looking to go into healthcare and care for people for the rest of my life, I have always been interested in working with others.”

Working through the Denison Campus Association, Nederveld volunteered for Denison Venture Philanthropy, a student-led group that annually researches local service organizations to which they donate $10,000 and 200 student volunteer hours.

“Each week we would read about different projects that were going on in Licking County; every organization wanted us to fund their project and to volunteer with them,” says Nederveld. “While the number of projects that we had to choose from was large, it allowed me to understand the daily need that my neighbors face and to explore my values in an important way.”

Nederveld eventually assumed the role of president in the organization. “As the president, I worked with my committee to award the grant to Hospice of Central Ohio this past December. We had the privilege of going to the center and meeting with some of the members of the Handmade Items Committee, all of whom were incredibly grateful to receive money and time that will allow them to further develop their program. Supporting people in hospice care and helping them to receive comfort items is especially meaningful during this time and is important to me as someone who is looking to work in the healthcare field.”

More about Denison Venture Philanthropy:
Since 2008, thanks to the generosity of Denison alumnus David Kuhns ’68, each year Denison students award a grant of $10,000 to a local organization; the award is accompanied by 200 student volunteer hours.

The project has a two-fold purpose: to provide capacity-building help to selected nonprofits in Licking County, and to educate students in the work of nonprofits, through evaluating, selecting and volunteering for a specific organization each year.

More about Ohio Campus Compact:
Ohio Campus Compact is a statewide nonprofit coalition of 40 college and university presidents and their campuses working to promote and develop the civic purposes of higher education. The Charles J. Ping Student Service Award recognition is granted annually to one undergraduate per Ohio Campus Compact member institution.