MSU was one of 141 schools named to the first President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for distinguished community service in honor of its Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and local work.

The honor roll was created to recognize colleges and universities that have done outstanding work within their communities and with victims of Hurricane Katrina, said Norris West, press secretary for the Corporation for National and Community Service.

"It is very encouraging to see the kinds of activities colleges are involving themselves in," West said.

"(This is a) generation of college students that are more engaged in community work than we have seen in a long time. This defies the stereotype of college students.

"They are reaching out to try and improve their community, doing things that go beyond self-gratification."

June Youatt, senior associate provost, said MSU students and faculty helped out in many ways and even had students travel to Louisiana on Alternative Spring Break to assist in relief efforts.

"We felt as if the number of projects we did demonstrated the way MSU uses its assets to engage in the community," Youatt said.

"It seemed like an excellent match to have the opportunity to feature the excellent work of our students," she said.

Youatt said the award called for students who helped America, and MSU students demonstrate just that as they assisted victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"It recognized institutes of higher education that are living out their mission of community service," Youatt said.

"As a land-grant institution, we are always into the community. What we do is part of who we are at MSU."

Students who went on the trip with Joyce Grant, associate professor of education, did not get credit for participating and paid for the trip themselves, Youatt said

She added that their work was the centerpiece for MSU's application to be named on the honor roll.

Grant led one of the many programs in Louisiana. She and participants were there for a month helping students get their education back on track.

"The prime purpose was to support children whose lives had been disrupted by this horrific event emotionally and educationally," Grant said.

"When we got there, one thing we realized was that they just wanted someone to listen to their stories and they didn't want to be forgotten."

Participants were trained to prepare themselves for the trip and to learn what they were going to teach to students, Grant said.

Students who did not travel donated what they could, including food, clothes and money in order to help victims.

"This large university with its faculty, students and administrators stretched out to Louisiana to find common ground to help people," Grant said.

"They were willing to give their time, efforts and resources."

Grant said the trip is an experience she and her students will never forget.