On April 11, Sacramento State student Theresa McPeek received the STARS (Students That Are Recognized for Service) award from the office of the Chancellor for her ongoing commitment to community service.

According to Ken Swisher, spokesperson for the office of the Chancellor, Public Affairs office in Long Beach, Calif., the community service program is something that CSU has been involved in for some years now.

The way the program works is that a student, any student, in any grade level, that is in a class that has a service learning component can qualify for the STARS award. Any classroom that has a component where the student can be taken out of the classroom and placed in the community to provide assistance to the general public can qualify, according to Swisher.

“For example, if a student is an accounting major, they can (on a voluntary basis) provide free accounting services to senior citizens. If a student is a business major, they can provide free business advice to small businesses in the community,” Swisher said.

Ayreen Calimquim, spokesperson for the office of the Chancellor at CSU Long Beach, said Theresa McPeek was recognized for her extensive work in creating a series of legislative presentations focused on elderly care.

“Her efforts have helped broaden the collaborative opportunities between CSU Sacramento and the legislative community,” Calimquim said.

McPeek is a senior at Sac State working on her bachelor?s degree in Gerontology, which is the study of aging, and was nominated for the STARS award by the dean of the Gerontology Department, Cheryl Osborn.

“The award was given to me for the intern program that I am in for my class, Gerontology 195B,” McPeek said.

According to McPeek, she received the award for presenting information to the California Legislative staff, via video and lecturing, on caregiving issues and how to care for the elderly population.

“I was surprised when I got the award. I really appreciate the award and enjoyed meeting the Chancellor and the other recipients from other universities. It was a nice evening,” McPeek said.