Southern Miss Student Pellittieri Earns Volunteer Service Award

University of Southern Mississippi student Lindsey Pellittieri has been recognized with one of the Governor's Initiative for Volunteer Excellence (GIVE) Awards, presented annually by Volunteer Mississippi and the Office of Gov. Phil Bryant to reward Mississippians who make a difference in their communities and state.

“One of the first things I learned from the University of Southern Miss is what it means to leave something ‘better than you found it,'” Pellittieri said. “My passion for the spirit and traditions of campus, my pursuit for academic growth and achievement, and my desire to serve a humbled community are what attribute to my commitment to serve; moreover, these factors influence my desire to leave, not just Southern Miss, but any food bank, construction site, classroom, homeless shelter, or village, better than I found it.”

Pellittieri, a junior special elementary education major from Chalmette, La., has completed one 300-hour term with AmeriCorps and is currently enrolled in her second year. In addition to her AmeriCorps position, Lindsey also participates in break trips and volunteers regularly at events sponsored by the Center for Community and Civic Engagement at Southern Miss.

“The staff in the Center for Community and Civic Engagement has been privileged to work with Lindsey Pellittieri,” said CCCE Director Josh Duplantis, who nominated Pellittieri for the honor. “Her passion for education is evident in all the work that she does.”

Pellittieri has been involved in numerous volunteer efforts during her time at Southern Miss, including Make a Difference Day, USM DuBard School for Language Disorders, St. Jude's Research Hospital and Relay for Life. She is the daughter of Laurie and Emile Pellittieri.

“It seems that Lindsey spends almost every waking moment outside of her academic pursuits serving others,” Duplantis said. “She is a excellent role model for her fellows students and students that will follow in her footsteps at USM.”

Awards will be presented to outstanding volunteer recipients at a special luncheon ceremony to be held April 14 at the Mississippi Museum of Art.