Over 2,100 students, faculty, and staff participated in GW’s seventh annual Freshman Day of Service and Convocation (FDoS) on Saturday, September 12. What made this year’s FDoS monumental was the announcement of the renaming of the Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service, a longstanding PAF placement, as the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service.
Honey Nashman, an emerita professor of sociology and human services and a longtime friend of the PAF program, along with her husband, Al, gave a gift to name the Nashman Center to strengthen the programming, academic service-learning, and impact in the community. Honey has strong connections to the university: all of her children attended GW and she served as a faculty member for over 43 years in human services and social justice. Honey has truly impacted many GW students and alumni, and as Amy Cohen, executive director of the Nashman Center stated, “I’m naming the Center after someone who has given her soul, her thoughts, and her intellect to create something at GW.”
As a PAF placed in the Nashman Center, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Honey and I’m currently managing the Nashman Center’s rebranding. Freshman Day of Service was a reflection of Honey’s commitment to service that the Nashman Center exemplifies, as many students served outside in ponchos despite the rain and thunderstorms throughout the day.
Current fellows Kelly Bartz and Zinhle Essamuah were among the participants in the rain that day at the GW GRoW Garden. Fellows Marcus Andrews, Katie Wynne, and Khadija Lalani, along with Program Director Robert Snyder and Administrative Advisor Peter Konwerski, also participated in various projects, and I felt extremely lucky to have the support of my fellow PAFs and the PAT throughout the eventful day. As we continue the PAF program’s commitment to service, we’re excited to give back under the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service!
