Reagan Wohlford, 2020-2021

Reagan Wohlford, a junior from Huntington, Indiana, is the recipient of the 2020-2021 John Henry Weidner Endowed Scholarship for Altruism in recognition of her extensive voluntarism. Wohlford, a Biology major with minors in Chemistry, Neuroscience, and Spanish, has devoted considerable time volunteering in the community with IndyHumane, Paws and Think, the Food Recovery Network, and Nora’s Neighbors. With IndyHumane, Wohlford serves as an Advanced Canine Companion, which involves training dogs in need of advanced behavior modifications. With Paws and Think, Wohlford led a series of projects aimed at introducing people to the organization’s mission and cultivating relationships. She currently serves as the Service Coordinator to extend the organization’s reach to include Butler students. In partnership with the Julian Center, the Food Recovery Network seeks to reduce hunger and food waste by recovering perishable food that would otherwise go to waste in campus dining facilities. Nora’s Neighbors is a student-led homework assistance organization. Given that many of the students involved in this program do not speak English as their first language, Wohlford noted that this experience has helped in her Spanish studies.

In Wohlford’s own words, “These are skills that I will value even after I leave Butler and try to become an active citizen in any community that I become a part of. I know this because so much of my life now is devoted to how I can best serve others, and as I begin the career search for after graduation, I am looking for community-oriented organization where I can help people in need. Serving individual organizations is vital but having the leadership skills to encourage others to get involved in their communities will be my biggest takeaway from my time at Butler University. I have the knowledge of how my actions influence the world around me and the aptitude to implement change when I see a need. This is Butler’s legacy on me, and for that I will be forever grateful.”