Stetson University senior Heather Grove won the 2010 Excellence in Service Award from Florida Campus Compact for being one of Florida’s most dedicated student service scholars who is making a positive impact through contribution of service.

Grove was selected from nominees from all of the private colleges and universities in Florida. The award ceremony took place at the Students Scholars Institute last month in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida Campus Compact is a coalition of more than 50 colleges and universities committed to promoting community service, service-learning and civic engagement.

Since the beginning of Grove’s freshman year at Stetson, she has been an active member of Bonner Scholars, a national service-learning organization. With Bonner’s requirement of eight to 10 hours of community service per week, Grove has contributed much of her time to local schools, community centers, soup kitchens and to individual residents in the DeLand area.

“I also spent a summer planting trees in Guatemala with my professor’s non-governmental organization, the Alliance for International Reforestation, or AIR,” she said. “There, I learned the importance of sustainability, which made a large impact on my service and my motivation for what I do now.”

Grove is also a co-founder of Hatter Harvest, an organization dedicated to food, health and environmental sustainability awareness and education. Hatter Harvest is offering three Slow Food Festivals this semester, with the two remaining being Sunday, March 20, and Sunday, April 17, from 1-5 p.m. at the Stetson Quad.

The Excellence in Service (EIS) Award is given by Florida Campus Compact, honoring three to six students every year for their contributions of student volunteer services. Recipients receive $500, free registration to the 2011 Student Scholars Institute and statewide visible recognition for their positive efforts.

Stetson Associate Director of Community Engagement Savannah-Jane Griffin said, “I was immediately struck by Heather’s sincerity, compassion and humility. Her enthusiasm and passion has really helped transform our university’s focus. Needless to say, she is now one of our greatest student leaders on campus as a Bonner who devotes her time to partnerships with several local non-profits.”

Grove was named the 2010 Udall Scholar for her commitment to environmental awareness and to a career in sustainable development as a means to help end environmental and social injustice. In 2008, she started a nonprofit organization, the John Grove Memorial Fund, to continue funding her late grandfather’s humanitarian efforts in Central America and the Caribbean.

Grove is originally from Orlando and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental science and Bachelor of Science in geography. After graduation in May, she plans to earn a master’s degree in international sustainable development.