For the ninth consecutive year, Grand Valley State University’s Office of Student Life is hosting the “I am Grand Valley” campaign to honor student leaders and inspire others to get involved in the campus community.

“It’s really just recognizing different students for their leadership skills, and together we can try to build up Grand Valley as a leadership school,” said Shelby Schwarzkoff, leadership initiatives staff assistant in the Office of Student Life. “It was designed to give recognition to those students who were doing a good job and to encourage other students to get involved and give back to their school and join organizations.”

Schwarzkoff said the goal of the initiative is to entice students to take leadership roles and engage in the community by having nominees wear “I am Grand Valley” t-shirts to spur the curiosity of other students.

While the first few years saw only a few hundred nominations, more than 1,000 students were nominated and recognized last year in the non-exclusive campaign. The university does not choose finalists, but instead honors every student who gets nominated.

“We want to encourage everyone,” Schwarzkoff said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of leadership or to what degree, it’s just that you are doing something.”

She added that many students are recognized for their roles in the organizations they’re involved in, for excelling in the classroom or for their involvement in athletics.

Students find out who nominated them Jan. 30 at an informal reception, where they receive t-shirts and certificates and enjoy refreshments, music and socializing.

Student nominees are then encouraged to wear their t-shirts the first Wednesday of every month on “I am Grand Valley” day.

Nominations for the recognition close Dec. 7, and the form can be found online at www.gvsu.edu/iamgv. Students, staff and faculty are allowed to cast nominations.
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