THE 2010 ANNUAL Leadership Banquet and Awards Ceremony was held on April 13. Sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Students, the event celebrates student leadership on campus.

The 2010 Norwich University Student Leader of the Year honor was awarded to Ashley Gavin, class of 2010. Ms. Gavin is an international studies major, a member of the Corps of Cadets and is a native of Medway, Mass. She was one of four finalists honored at the banquet. Consideration as a finalist involves completing a rigorous application process for which the students write an essay describing their views on leadership.

Ms. Gavin’s application began with the sentence, “If I were to name a synonym for leadership, I would choose guidance.”

After attending the Future Leader camp in high school, Ms. Gavin knew that coming to Norwich would push her out of her comfort zone. She was clearly up for the challenge.

Ashley Gavin Ms. Gavin is an active member of the Corps. This year she is the Cadet Training Company 09-1 Executive Officer, a job that entails working with 135 first-year students as their academic officer. She has also been a Spanish peer tutor for four years and spent a semester abroad studying in Costa Rica.

Amidst her busy academic life and duties within the Corps, Ms. Gavin also spends time volunteering. She is part of the award-winning AmeriCorps team of the Center for Civic Engagement at the University. She chose her 2009-2010 focus to be hunger. As such, she has been involved in numerous activities in Central Vermont, including working with the Crop Walk, and the Vermont Foodbank where she organizes student help.

Closer to home, Ms. Gavin works with Reverend Paul Hoffman of the United Methodist Church as the student volunteer coordinator for the free Friday night community dinner his church offers.

Rev. Hoffman is grateful for the volunteers from Norwich and has enjoyed working with Ms. Gavin.

“When Ashley comes to help, she is always full of energy, and wants as much as possible to help while they are there,” Hoffman said. “Her smile warms the room.”

In March, Ms. Gavin served as student leader on an Alternative Spring Break trip to the Heifer Project International Overlook farm in Rutland, Mass. It was her third spring break trip, having previously attended a Habitat for Humanities trip and one in New Orleans. However, this was her first trip as student leader where she coordinated numerous details ahead of time, as well as led the students during the week of volunteering.

In her thoughts on leadership, Mrs. Gavin wrote, “Good leadership is a lifestyle choice. It is the conscious decisions made all day, every day about following through with commitments…I believe leadership is not something you can take on or take off.”

Ms. Gavin will be spending the summer after her graduation from Norwich as an intern in an immigration law office in Boston. She plans to apply for law school and will likely teach English as a second language in Asia before going back to school.