May 14, 2012
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt senior track and field athlete Nia Washington has been named to the 2012 SEC Track and Field Community Service Team. The Chatham, N.Y., native has put together an impressive list of volunteer efforts, including work with the Women Empowerment Project and time volunteering in Ecuador.
Washington is a founding member of the Women Empowerment Project, run through the Tennessee Department of Correction for Women. The Project won the title of Most Outstanding Community Service Project at Vanderbilt’s Greek Awards.
She was also a group leader at the Make A Wish Foundation’s Rake-a-Thon and has done work as mentor with the Men of Valor organization.
Washington spent time in Manchalilla, Ecuador, teaching English classes to adults and children. She also helped spread awareness of wildlife preservation in the village by teaching classes and creating murals in the town. During her time there, the group tracked the migration patterns and populations of Pacific Humpback wales for the Pacific Wale Foundaiton.
Closer to home, Washington works as a campus representative for Vanderbilt International Student Volunteers, which helps inform and recruit students for future volunteer projects.
In the Nashville community, she has worked as a chef and kitchen assistant at the Room in the Inn mission, which serves meals to as many as 120 homeless patrons per night. She also made weekly visits to patients at the Alive Hospice in Nashville.
Washington was recently named the Vanderbilt Academic Support for Student-Athlete’s Female Student of the Month (April) and just graduated last week with a double major in Human and Organizational Development and Medicine, Health and Society.
For the complete 2012 SEC Track and Field Community Service Team, visit SECSports.com’s official release.
