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The Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley recently honored Marquis Scholar Jonathan Farrar ’07 (Alexandria, Va.) with a Someone Special Volunteer Award.
The center is the regional branch of the Volunteer Center National Network. It collaborates with hundreds of area corporations and agencies, recruiting thousands of volunteers to create educational and human service partnerships enhancing and enriching the Lehigh Valley community.
Farrar, who is pursuing a B.S. physics and A.B. with a major in mathematics, was recognized for his work as a mentor at the Firth Youth Center in Phillipsburg, N.J., an organization that serves local youth with after-school and drop-in recreational programming, including homework help, music, computers, and games. He is the Firth Youth Center team leader for students volunteering through the Landis Community Outreach Center.
“Jon initially received this assignment as the coordinator for incoming freshmen to provide volunteer service for local agencies and centers,” explains Joe Ciangiola, program director at the Firth Youth Center. “After the assignment ended, Jon has continued to provide mentoring on a weekly basis for our kids. Jon has gone above and beyond the call of duty for our kids. His time has been given around a very busy schedule, both academically and socially. During semester breaks and vacations, while other students have gone to their respective homes, Jon has made an extra effort to visit the kids at the center before departing.”
Farrar was surprised by his nomination for the award, and believes his team of volunteers also deserves recognition for the commitment they’ve shown to the center.
“It is an incredible honor to be recognized for volunteering at the Firth Youth Center, as it has always been something that I’ve enjoyed,” he says. “I was certainly surprised to learn that I could receive an award for spending time helping children with their homework, tossing a football around, and just generally trying to be a good role model. Ultimately, I wish that we could have had all of the names of my volunteers on the plaque, as it is they who exhibit the kind of genuine caring and dedication that inspires me and hopefully the children at the Firth Youth Center.”
Through the Landis Center, Farrar also has participated in the Pre-Orientation Service Program for the last three years. This past year, he served as executive director of the program, which brings first-year students to campus early to participate in community service activities led by returning students. He also helped organize the third and fourth annual Lafapalooza events, which allow participants to do a one-time community service project. Farrar was co-chair of this year’s Literacy Day event, which brought local children to campus for a day of reading, arts and crafts, and creative dance.
“Jon Farrar has been an outstanding leader in the Landis Center,” says Amber Zuber, assistant director of the Landis Center. “Not only does he demonstrate a strong commitment to the children and staff of the Firth Youth Center, but he has also held important leadership roles in campus events including the Pre-Orientation Service Program, Lafapalooza, Literacy Day, and Holiday Helpers. His dedication and commitment to the community is commendable, and the recognition from the Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley is well-deserved.”
Farrar’s primary goal in each service activity is to lead by example. He also believes volunteer work strengthens the bond between Lafayette and the surrounding communities.
“It’s important to be in new environments to prevent you from becoming too comfortable,” he explains. “By volunteering, I’ve met people both at Lafayette and in the Easton and Phillipsburg communities that I never would have, as well as learned more about the issues facing the community in which I am living. I’ve learned a lot from the people who have taken the time to volunteer at places where I’ve grown up, and I’ve always tried to reciprocate that compassion through my involvement with the Landis Center.”
Farrar has conducted EXCEL Scholars research with Andrew Kortyna, assistant professor of physics, and physics graduate Nicholas Masluk ’06 entitled “Atomic beam measurements of the cesium 7D hyperfine structure.” They presented the results of the project last spring at the 37th annual meeting of the American Physical Society’s Division of Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics in Knoxville, Tenn.
In Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, students conduct research with faculty while earning a stipend. The program has helped to make Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.
A member of Phi Beta Kappa, America’s oldest and most respected honors organization, Farrar is vice president of Physics Club, a physics lab teaching assistant, and a member of Investment Club.
Chosen from among Lafayette’s most promising applicants, Marquis Scholars like Farrar receive a special academic scholarship and distinctive educational experiences and benefits. This includes a three-week, Lafayette-funded course abroad or in the United States during January’s interim session between semesters or the summer break. Marquis Scholars also participate in mentoring programs with Lafayette faculty and cultural activities in major cities and on campus.