News release Public Information Office   SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu     www.selu.edu/news Contact: Christina Chapple Date: 11/26/03   Click on image for publication quality photo AMERICORPS DIRECTOR TO ADDRESS SOUTHEASTERN GRADUATES       HAMMOND -- Rosie K. Mauk, director of the national service program AmeriCorps, will deliver the keynote address at Southeastern Louisiana University's winter commencement on Saturday, December 13.       Southeastern will confer associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees on approximately 1,100 students at the 10 a.m. ceremony in the University Center. The Golden Graduates, Southeastern alumni who received their diplomas 50 years ago or more, will lead the Class of 2003 into the University Center.       Mauk, a longtime champion of volunteer service on the state and national level, was named AmeriCorps head in November 2001. A total of 50,000 Americans annually participate in the program, which addresses pressing community needs in areas such as education, the environment, public safety, and homeland security.       Mauk is leading AmeriCorps at a time of intense interest in national service. In his 2002 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush issued a “Call to Service,” asking Americans to give at least two years of service during their lifetimes. At Southeastern, President Randy Moffett has challenged the campus community to initiate ways to engage students in service learning, which blends civic engagement and academic instruction. Since 2001,  Southeastern students have worked one-on-one with pre-school children through “Jumpstart,” an AmeriCorps program targeting school readiness.       For the past 25 years, Mauk has been a strong advocate of community service and an active participant in many volunteer and charitable organizations. Prior to her AmeriCorps appointment, she served on the Texas Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service from 1995 to 2001. She also helped found and served as chair of the American Association of State Service Commissions, and was president of Camp Fire USA’s national board of directors.       In Fort Worth, Mauk served on the boards of United Way of Texas and the Preservation Society of Fort Worth, and was president of the AIDS Outreach Center and a founding board member of the Volunteer Center of Tarrant County. She spearheaded a fund-raising drive for the YWCA of Tarrant County that raised more than $5 million to build a new homeless childcare center. She won numerous awards, including the governor’s Volunteer Leadership Award, Fort Worth Woman of the Year, and a 1999 Daily Point of Light award.        Born in Toledo, Ohio, Mauk is a graduate of the University of Toledo. Return to News Releases