Crista Sorenson Award for Outstanding Civic & Community Engagement

Crista Sorenson embodied civic and community engagement, and dedicated her life to making our community and the world more just, equitable, and sustainable for all.  She gave countless hours to Cache Valley non-profit organizations, including Logan Pride, Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection, Cache Valley Gardener’s Market, Bridgerland Audubon Society, and Bear River Watershed Council.  On the USU campus, Crista served multiple AmeriCorps terms, served as an advocate for non-traditional and underrepresented students, and was instrumental in founding the Student Sustainability Office and programs such as True Blue Reuse and the USU Permaculture Initiative.  Crista was a dedicated champion for marginalized groups and threatened landscapes and ecosystems, and this award serves to inspire students and AmeriCorps members to continue her legacy.

The Crista Sorenson Award for Outstanding Civic & Community Engagement will be given to a USU student, with preference to AmeriCorps members, dedicated to working with marginalized groups to find solutions to community-identified challenges. Award recipients represent the next generation of public problem solvers and civic leaders. They serve as exemplars of the role that civic engagement and national service can-and does-play in building a better world.

Recipients for the award will be nominated and chosen by a committee from the following criteria:

• USU student, with preference given to AmeriCorps members
• Demonstrated commitment to working directly with marginalized groups to find solutions to community-identified challenges
• Evidence that civic and community engagement has made a positive and meaningful impact in the community

The USU Center for Community Engagement will award the recipient with a $1,000 stipend to help them complete their degree while fulfilling their civic and community engagement commitments.

We invite you to support the Crista Sorenson Civic Engagement Award and join friends, family and admirers of Crista Sorenson who hope to keep her legacy of activism, compassion, and generosity alive in her beloved Cache Valley community.