STATE COLLEGE — Three State College Area High School students were honored with the Penn State Community Hero Ambassador Master Participant Award on Tuesday, May 5, at a ceremony held at the Penn State Outreach Building on the University Park campus.
Students Gaby E. Meredith, Laurel H. Sanchez and Allison C. Warner were each presented with a Penn State CHAMP Plaque by Lori Gravish Hurtack, associate teaching professor in the Department of Kinesiology and CHIP camp director.
The recognition stems from participation in the Penn State College of Health and Human Development’s summer program, “CHIP — Community Hero Initiative Program.” Established by Gravish Hurtack, the camp was designed to connect youth development with meaningful community outreach.
Gravish Hurtack secured grant funding from DiamondBack Covers and Nardozzo to help keep the camp financially accessible and open to as many students as possible.
During the four-day experience, students explore key pillars of personal health — social, physical, nutritional and emotional — through team-building exercises, group discussions and hands-on community outreach activities.
Following the camp experience, students extended their learning into the community through individualized service projects that demonstrated leadership, creativity and impact.
Gaby E. Meredith partnered with Rhizome to organize a community outreach event focused on addressing clothing and food insecurity. Her team exceeded their initial goals by raising $390 and collecting 60 donated items, ultimately helping community members in need and redistributing remaining items to local organizations.
Laurel H. Sanchez worked with Discovery Space to design and implement a woodworking-based STEM camp for middle school girls. The initiative encouraged participation in a traditionally male-dominated field, resulting in a hands-on, empowering experience where participants created their own projects and built confidence in STEM learning.
Allison C. Warner collaborated with the Jana Marie Foundation, contributing to community events including the Hobby Horse Derby fundraiser and a Penn State partnership event supporting youth engagement and mental health awareness. Her efforts emphasized social connection, emotional well-being and community outreach.
Participants applied what they learned by completing extensive community leadership over a six-month period, including a minimum of 45 service hours — a process requiring dedication, initiative and measurable impact. To qualify for the CHAMP Award, students
submitted an essay, maintained a reflective journal of their experiences and provided photo documentation of their service efforts.
Students reflected on the lasting impact of their experiences through both the CHIP and CHAMP programs.
“Knowing we were helping people out in situations like his made me feel truly like a hero,” Meredith shared, recalling a meaningful moment during her outreach event assisting a community member in need.”
Sanchez emphasized the value of mentorship and leadership, noting that her experience “inspired my pursuit of community outreach even beyond Discovery Space” and helped her grow in collaboration, communication and problem-solving skills.
Warner reflected on her personal growth, explaining that the experience pushed her outside of her comfort zone and helped her become “more adaptable, especially when challenges were thrown at events.”
CHIP Conferences and Institutes staff, along with friends and family members, gathered on May 5 to celebrate the accomplishments of this year’s award recipients.
The CHIP Program also extended special thanks to Becky Briggs of DiamondBack Covers, Associate Dean Dennis Shea of the College of Health and Human Development, and its valued community partners for their continued support of youth outreach.
Gravish Hurtack noted, “This camp has resulted in some of our youth going on into careers such as pre-medicine, nursing, pharmacy and physical therapy. One CHAMP recipient from 2025, Leila Crandall from State High, was recently accepted into the Millennium Scholars Program and will begin her first year at Penn State this fall in kinesiology with a focus on becoming a physician. This camp shapes our youth into purposeful educational discovery.”
Those interested in learning more about the Penn State CHIP camp can visit hhd.psu.edu/outreach/youth-and-family-programs/chip-camp.
