Michelle Morgan, a first-year premed/biology major from Burr Ridge, Ill., is the sort of person you hope you find in the next residence hall room when you move in. That’s why she’s the 2001 winner of the George L. Droll Award.
Here’s what Stacey Lewis, the resident assistant on her floor, says in a nomination letter:
“The
first week of school, Michelle went door-to-door with cookies, introducing
herself and inviting them to continue strolling down the hall meeting
people. She continued rounding up the 45 girls on my floor and went up
to the next floor. Michelle and the gang continued until they ran out
of cookies and they couldn’t fit down the hall any farther.”
Lewis’s letter says that Morgan rushes to help students on her floor who have a cold, fever, flu, or other ailments.
In one instance, Lewis says, Morgan realized one student looked flushed and took her temperature. When it turned out to be 103.6 degrees, she insisted that the student go to the emergency room immediately and offered to take her, despite the two midterm exams she had coming up that day.
“(The student) did go to the E.R. and had two liters of intravenous saline and antibiotics,” Lewis says. “She now is doing very well and is very grateful to have such an outgoing resident.”
Usually, though, Michelle’s contribution is food, a “Good Luck” sign on the day of an exam, or a bright smile and big “Hello!” Lewis says.
Persons nominated for the Droll Award are asked to write a short essay. Morgan’s said, in part:
“When I chose to live in the residence halls, I automatically made myself an active member. Not participating would be a loss to others and myself. It is more than just a dorm: it is a rich environment filled with individuals to share life experiences with.”
She says she didn’t immediately realize that she had won the award when the letter arrived in her mailbox. Thinking it was probably junk mail, Morgan didn’t open it until she reached her room.
“When I saw what it was, I did a little bit of screaming and called some people on the phone,” she says. “I’m very happy. It meant a lot to me. I didn’t expect to win it. In fact, I had been encouraging all my friends to try for it!”
The awards are established by the Droll family and are provided through a memorial fund administered by the University of Iowa Foundation. George L. Droll joined the Department of Residence Services in 1960 and served as its director from 1980 until his death in 1995.
Morgan was nominated for the award based on her contributions to good citizenship and community building on her floor of Daum Residence Hall and participation in the residence halls community. The award is a certificate plus a credit of up to $1,000 on her University bill to be used toward room and board in the residence halls in the next academic year.
The awards look for students who are positive influences on others, volunteer for extra tasks, demonstrate adherence to standards expected of residence hall students, understand and celebrate diversity, and participate in floor activities.