Madison Georgoff, Bowling Green State University

Maddi Georgoff, a senior at Bowling Green State University, is a tireless leader with an outstanding ability to translate what she learns into action. For the past three years, Maddi has served in the Office of Service-Learning as a “Civic Action Leader.” In this position, she has assumed significant leadership roles in implementing BGSU’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, advising students on volunteer opportunities in Northwest Ohio, and engaging the BGSU community on social justice issues. Though Maddi excels in all she does, her commitment to mobilizing students to address root causes of social issues deserves special recognition. In her junior year, Maddi founded Bowling Green Alternative Breaks, a student-led organization that plans and implements meaningful alternative breaks. The organization stresses education and reflection as core components of a meaningful service experience. Upon graduation in May 2015, Maddi’s legacy of service will be sustained on campus by the student leaders she has mobilized. As she continues her commitment to the common good through nonprofit work and social action, Maddi will see great success. BGSU is simply a better place because of Maddi Georgoff.  
-Mary Ellen Mazey, President

My experiences involving civic engagement and social justice in college have grounded me in the perspective that there is good to be done in the world, and it doesn’t have to be done alone. This fundamental idea has been a motivating factor during my time as the founding President of Bowling Green State University’s only social issue-based alternative break program. This leadership position has fostered my ability to promote sustainable change and inclusive activism on campus and in communities around the country. I have come to truly value the importance of reciprocity and listening to the unique voices that contribute so much to each community and the act of social justice. These values have also transcended into my experiences and accomplishments as a Civic Action Leader. Within this role, I have found my passion for actively empowering students to pursue social justice through direct service and community engagement, while also contributing to important conversations surrounding social issues and activism. I am extremely grateful for the foundation of engagement that I have adopted throughout my college experience, and I hope to use these experiences to enact positive, sustainable, and impactful social change for the rest of my life.  
-Maddi Georgoff