Emily Infinger
Plymouth State University
Emily Infinger, a junior at Plymouth State University with a Psychology major and a concentration in Mental Health, serves as a Student Impact Ambassador in the Office of Community Impact and the President of the PSU Volunteers organization. While Emily has hosted many opportunities for students to engage in service, her coordination of the annual Angel Tree Project has had the most significant impact on the Greater Plymouth Region. This project partners with 15 community agencies to provide winter needs and holiday gifts to over 350 children and youth. She is dedicated to taking an ethical approach to community engagement and this has been continuously reflected in her leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. She played a pivotal role in the Office of Community Impact to plan and implement remote and in-direct service experiences, and then she helped to re-establish in-person programs with direct benefit to the broader community. Emily’s involvement on campus continues to foster meaningful opportunities for students to learn and grow as active citizens.
Personal Statement
When it comes to volunteering, I had little experience before starting college. I had made a small decision to join a club called the PSU Volunteers my first year, and I discovered I had a real passion for service. I had always planned to go into a human service field, with my major being Psychology, but I had no idea how rewarding acts of service could be until I also started working at the Office of Community Impact at Plymouth State or what I would learn from the experience. For the last two years, I have coordinated our Angel Tree Project, which provides winter needs and holiday gifts to over 350 children and youth around the Plymouth area. With the rise of Covid-19 we have all learned the importance of community connection. I am so grateful that I have the chance to cultivate that connection, and the mindfulness to learn how to be an active citizen in my community. I know that wherever the future takes me, I'll continue to share the importance of creating a positive impact, learning from others, and approaching any situation from a place of empathy and love.
