President's Award for Excellence in Service Learning: Sarah Schmitt-Wilson, Founders Day Faculty Awards, Academic Year 2024-25. Portrait of Sarah Schmitt-Wilson.

Sarah Schmitt-Wilson

The recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Service Learning is Sarah Schmitt-Wilson, associate teaching professor in the Department of Education. The award recognizes a faculty member who engages students to apply academic skills and knowledge to address needs in their communities. It carries a $2,000 honorarium. 

Schmitt-Wilson leads MSU’s Teacher Education Program, and nominators noted her ability to guide students through projects that embed them in their communities and allow them to practice what they learn in their own studies, particularly in classes related to child and adolescent development. 

“Incredibly, since the fall of 2010, Dr. Schmitt-Wilson has taught this class to over 2,400 students, who have provided over 17,000 hours of service within the community,” said Lauren Davis, head of the Department of Education, in a nomination letter. “For each course, students are asked to participate in a service-learning experience working with a child/adolescent and/or their families.” 

The courses are designed to prepare students for practical work they will encounter after they graduate and offer structured opportunities to reflect on the work they have done in the community before they complete their studies. 

“For those considering education as a major, this class and its required service-learning component provide an early field experience,” said Ann Ellsworth, professor of English language arts at MSU, in a letter supporting Schmitt-Wilson’s selection. “Dr. Schmitt-Wilson’s dedication to service learning and ensuring a dynamic, quality experience for undergraduates merits recognition.”