Princeton Review ranks Saint Michael’s among top colleges for community service

Saint Michael’s College is being recognized for its longtime mission of and passion for service to the community.

The Princeton Review, which issues annual reviews of the best colleges in the country, recently ranked Saint Michael’s College #25 on its list of colleges most engaged in community service.

Saint Michael’s College has long focused on how students, faculty, and staff can make an impact on the larger community. Our founders, the Society of Saint Edmund, have their roots in service, hospitality, education and social justice, which is embodied by the College both inside and outside the classroom.

“We talk about the importance of purpose a lot at Saint Michael’s,” said Heidi St. Peter, Saint Michael’s Director of Purposeful Learning. “As students begin to discover who they are and how they want to be in the world, we help them find ways to put their passions and gifts into action to better the world around them. That’s how they build lifelong habits of giving back.”

Apple-picking for first-year students through MOVE is a popular activity that exposes new arrivals to the potential fun and satisfaction of serving others.

Some of the ways through which Saint Michael’s College serves the community include:

• The College’s organization MOVE (Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts), which engages almost 70 percent of the student population in a number of community service efforts locally and beyond.
• Saint Michael’s College Fire and Rescue, through which student volunteers respond to emergency calls throughout Chittenden County 24/7.
• The College’s Peace and Justice Center, student club, and offering of a Peace and Justice minor, which combines service and education.

“Service is at the core of Saint Michael’s mission,” said Lorraine Sterritt, President of Saint Michael’s College. “What’s exciting is to see our students living this piece of our heritage in action every day. From responding to fire and rescue calls in our community to volunteering in local nonprofits, our students are genuinely excited to do well and do good in the world.”

“I work every day with students who truly believe in the power of peace, justice and service,” said Dawn Ellinwood, Saint Michael’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students. “These are not just words to them. I see them come back from service trips in Immokalee, FL, and New Orleans, LA, and they are truly changed. That experience of serving and caring for others continues to guide our students beyond campus after graduation.”

Saint Michael’s is also once again included among the top colleges and universities in the country, per the Princeton Review’s publication The Best 388 Colleges for 2023. The results are based on the Princeton Review’s 85-question survey, which asks students to rate different aspects of their college experience.

Saint Michael’s Fire and Rescue is a valued student-staffed agency to serve the community.

The Princeton Review, which is headquartered in New York, N.Y., is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. The company is not affiliated with Princeton University.

About Saint Michael’s College

Saint Michael’s College, founded on principles of social justice and leading lives of purpose and consequence, is a selective, Catholic college just outside Burlington, Vermont, one of the country’s best college towns. Located between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, our closely connected community guarantees housing all four years and delivers internationally respected liberal arts together with an innovative Purposeful Learning Program, preparing students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. Young adults here grow intellectually, socially, and morally, learning to be responsible for themselves, each other, and their world.