Nicholas Roberts, Moravian College

Nick RobertsNick Roberts is a senior Religion Major and Ethics Minor at Moravian College who has been actively and passionately engaged with our community’s underprivileged and at-risk populations during all four years of his undergraduate degree. Nick’s foundational passion in helping those in need through active civic leadership has blossomed and matured with his expanding leadership roles in our 1742 Experience (a first-year, upperclassman mentoring program), as an intern at our local branch of the Boys and Girls Club, and within his intensive coordination roles in alternative spring break trips to Jamaica. Nick is an exemplary model of the community-oriented approach to lifelong learning found at Moravian College, and is a continuously positive role model to his peers. With his growing experience, Nick expanded his service role on campus in his upperclassman years by additionally taking on Presidential and Service Role chairs in his fraternity, and mentoring his younger fraternal counterparts in turn. Nick’s fervor for helping others is only further cemented by his interest in pursuing a term of service or other “helping” role after earning his degree.
-Dr. Bryon Grigsby, President

There’s an understanding developing in our culture that emphasizes the need for individuals to support their neighbors. I found this calling in Preston County, West Virginia standing atop of an aluminum trailer in the blazing sun on my first of many service trips. In that defining moment of sweltering southern summer, I found something I loved– service to others. Since then I have completed over 500 hours of service, and have been on three trips to Jamaica, along with serving as an intern for the past nine months at our local Boys and Girls club. I work closely with at-risk youth and develop programming for gang prevention, promoting education and healthy life choices. In experiences both at home and abroad there has been one major issue that I have noticed is a general condition of being. There will always be those in need, and we as a community and as individuals have an obligation to give back to those who are not as fortunate. Into the Wild, a book very close to my heart, Christopher McCandless says, “Happiness is only real when it is shared.” Working with the community, fostering ideals of civic responsibility, developing relationships, has been my way of sharing happiness with those around me. 
-Nick Roberts