Hilary Gove, Hobart and William Smith Colleges

As a William Smith junior, Hilary Gove seized the opportunity to become a part of a campus led playground initiative that began when Kaboom! CEO Darrel Hammond spoke at Convocation in 2011. Kaboom is national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America’s children by creating great playspaces through the participation and leadership of communities. As a public policy major, she appreciated the role that unstructured play can have in a child’s development. Hilary spent time visiting local schools and engaging children in “design days” which were structured to include their creative energy and ideas on the design and selection of playground equipment; she recognized that by involving children early in the process that a collective sense of excitement and empowerment would result. After a year of fundraising, of which Hilary was also a part, Hilary assisted in the community build date in October 2012. Additional demonstrations of Hilary’s commitment to children is evidenced by her involvement in America Reads, both as a one-on-one tutor and team coordinator.