Communities in Schools Volunteer Receives Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service

Frances “Fran” Herrell was awarded the N.C. Medallion Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service in recognition of her service at Communities in Schools of Mitchell County. Gov. Bev Perdue presented the award to Fran and 19 other North Carolina recipients last night at a ceremony at the State Capitol in Raleigh.

“Like CIS’s mission, Fran is dedicated to making sure Mitchell County school children have the tools they need and deserve in order to stay in school and prepare for life,” said Lori Gilcrist, executive director of CIS Mitchell County. “Fran’s mission-driven dedication and commitment set her apart, making her truly worthy of this honor.”

As a tutor and mentor, Fran provides one-on-one academic assistance and encouragement to students in Mitchell County Schools, and communicates with teachers and principals about student progress and needs in grades K-8. She also develops and delivers activities for the CIS Summer Enrichment Program for K-2 students.

Fran connects with her students and can identify the type of academic or support intervention that will serve them best. She makes sure that students have the resources they need both in and out of the classroom to be successful and prepare for life.

The recognition is part of the N.C. Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service program, which honors individuals, groups, teams and businesses that make significant contributions to their communities through volunteer service. Since the program began in 1978, more than 16,000 individuals have been recognized for their service. County coordinators and local selection committees receive and evaluate the nominations. Medallion recipients are nominated at the county level then evaluated by a panel of community service leaders from across the state.