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Awards & recognition

S.R. Smith Servant-Leader Award (formerly the Barnabas Award)

Initially established as the Barnabas Award, the S.R. Smith Servant-Leader Award is given annually by the Agapé Center to those who enrich our educational community by promoting the ideals of service that substantially benefit others. Phillip and Rebecca Smith have generously agreed to endow this annual award as it fits with a core tenet of Phillip's great-grandfather's (S.R. Smith) founding vision for Messiah University, i.e., equipping men and women for lives of commitment to Christ and service to others. Wheel-thrown basins are given out each year to recipients as a token of appreciation for their commitment to service and living lives as Jesus called us to.

The awards are made available by the Agapé Center and are given to one current undergraduate student and one current employee at Messiah University, with a matching award given to an organization of each honoree's choice.

2025 Student Recipient

Autumn Derstine

Autumn is a senior majoring in Robotics Engineering with a minor in Economic Development, Autumn has been deeply engaged in service and leadership throughout her time at the university. Since her freshman year, she has volunteered with Bethesda through the Agape Center and the Collaboratory Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Team. Currently, she serves as the Student Project Manager for the Solar PV Team and the Bethesda Hotspot Outreach Coordinator for the Agape Center. In addition to her service work, Autumn is the captain and president of the Women's Club Soccer Team.

Autumn has chosen Tree4Hope to receive a monetary gift

 

 

2025 Employee Recipient

Tina Keller

Tina Keller is an Associate Professor of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Chair of the Education Department. She began her career as an English as a Second Language teacher, welcoming children and families to the American school system. During those years, she realized the impact that education and access to community resources could have on the success of children. When the opportunity to help our new refugee neighbors enroll their children in school emerged, she jumped at the chance to pitch in. What she didn’t realize was that a whole network of current students, alumni, colleagues, family, friends, and strangers would rise to the challenge. While she is honored with this award, it is shared with countless people who have given of their time and resources to not only welcome the stranger, but to live out the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves

Tina has chosen Church World Service (CWS) to receive a monetary gift.