The Jefferson Award for Service is a national program that recognizes outstanding dedication to community and public service. The awards are given both locally and nationally and past national honorees include such notables as Alan Greenspan and Peyton Manning. Local recipients in each state are then eligible to be selected to be among the national Jefferson Award recipients.

Ms. Harris Church is a student in Cohort 20 of Wilmington University’s Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership program. She was very surprised by the honor saying, “I’m very humbled and very excited.” She went on, “When I give back to the community, I do it because that’s a passion of mine. And I realize life is not about us, it’s about what we do for other people.”

A proud volunteer Ms. Harris Church has dedicated her time to a number of community organizations including: the African American Heritage Project, House of P.R.I.D.E, Harris Devine Connections, Kent County Prevention Coalition, Sisters of Faith, and the Compassionate Friends-Bay Breeze Chapter. She currently serves as advisor to three student organizations – Pinnacle Honor Society, Spoken Word Artists United, and SARAH (Spiritual Alliance Religious Association). In addition, her past involvement has included the John S. Charlton Kent County Autism Partnership Program, Junior Achievement Program, Women’s Empowerment Workshop-First State Community Action Agency, Make-A-Difference Day, Habitat for Humanity, House of P.R.I.D.E., CBC soup kitchen, and the Delaware State University Mentoring Program.