MOREHEAD, Ky. – If there is one word to describe Stacy Silver’s time at Morehead State it is this: joy.
A joy to be a libero (defensive specialist) for the Eagles’ volleyball team.
A joy to be headed into her final semester before receiving a degree in exercise science.
And a joy to be of service in the Morehead community.
Her 90-plus hours of community service were a big reason why the volleyball team won the Team Community Service Award at the Morehead State Athletics Honors Banquet. The award goes to the team with the most combined community service hours, and volleyball topped the list with 510 hours.
Silver, a 5-foot-6 senior from Brownsburg, Ind., put in nearly all her hours at Morehead’s community soup kitchen.
She estimated that as many as 250 people are served on busier days. And the fare is much more than merely soup.
Besides a main entrée, typical meals include two sides, rolls and a dessert.
Silver volunteered in the kitchen last summer. Once the fall volleyball season opened, she worked Tuesdays and Thursdays. Rising at 6 a.m., she normally would be on duty from 6:30 a.m. until about 1 p.m.
From there, she would go to class and then to volleyball practice before finishing her day with schoolwork.
Did we mention that Silver has had a 4.0 grade-point average every semester at Morehead State?
“Stacy’s a very driven and exceptional woman and she has an incredible heart,” said head coach Jaime Gordon. “She does a lot to reach out to others. Her involvement, especially over at the soup kitchen, is quite commendable and she’s really been incredibly dedicated to that.”
Silver’s duties range from preparing food, serving and keeping everything clean.
“It’s a really neat place,” she said. “It brings me a lot of joy, and it brings me a lot of joy to help others and see – even though it’s a lot of work each morning – to see that people are getting fed.”
The kitchen, athletics and studies combine to demand a disciplined lifestyle.
“I’ve learned time management, for sure,” Silver said. “I don’t get to watch TV that much or whatnot, but the way I see it is I’m there to support my teammates by working hard on the court, in the classroom. And, then, I also want to give back to the community. Not going out or not watching TV, it doesn’t bother me because I’d rather do something that’s beneficial.”
Gordon says that Silver epitomizes the type of players he wants to recruit – individuals who are driven to excel on the court, in the classroom and in the community. Her commitment to public service serves as an inspiration to her teammates and encourages them to be similarly involved. And that’s partly how the Team Community Service Award wound up with the volleyball team.
“It’s something that is, I think, just a reflection of the type of people that they are,” Gordon said. “They’re very selfless and are constantly focused on others. I think it’s a real attribute.
“And especially considering all the rest of the teams and student-athletes. This is something that not just our team, but the whole athletic department embraces. So I think it makes it even a little bit more special that we were recognized, considering the other teams and their commitments as well.”
To read more please visit: http://www.msueagles.com/news/2016/7/5/volleyball-stacy-silver-gives-all-on-and-off-court.aspx