Cristena Heschke
Buena Vista University
Cristena Heschke, a third-year student at Buena Vista University, is an active student leader through her service work in the Storm Lake community and beyond. Ms. Heschke has been instrumental in community engagement and capacity building through her role in BV Buddies a student organization dedicated to mentoring middle school youth and Student M.O.V.E an organization dedicated to mobilizing student volunteers and raising awareness of local issues. By connecting with her peers, she has mobilized hundreds of students to volunteer with BV Buddies and Student MOVE. Cristena, an Elementary Education major has always had a passion for youth. When she is not mentoring, she is leading her peers on campus in ways that meet local needs and encourage college students to serve. Ms. Heschke is a humble leader who encourages, motivates, and organizes others to make a difference. She is currently working with fellow students to mobilize more students and groups to collaborate with local organizations to build capacity and solve local needs.
Personal Statement
Service has made a huge impact on my life the past few years. I first became involved in volunteering with my campus and local communities when I became a member of Student M.O.V.E (Mobilizing Outreach and Volunteer Efforts). Through my experience these past few years at Buena Vista University I have been exposed to many opportunities to grow my leadership and passion in service. Through my experiences with service I have been pushed to step outside of my comfort zone, which is how I been able to grow my leadership skills as Student M.O.V.E President and with a coordinator role in our local mentoring program.
