The Lena Landegger Community Service Awards FAQs

Who can apply for the awards?

Georgetown University undergraduate students graduating in December 2024, May 2025, or August 2025 are eligible to apply. This includes undergraduate students who are at the GU Qatar campus and the School for Continuing Studies.

Can I apply if I will be abroad during the Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 Semester?

Yes. While you will (likely) not be able to attend the ceremony/dinner if you are abroad in Spring 2025, you are still eligible for the award.

Can I apply if I am a student at GU-Q?

Yes. While you will (likely) not be able to attend the ceremony/dinner, you are still eligible for the award.

How does the review committee understand or define “service”?

“Service” is a central idea in Ignatian spirituality. In “Ignatian Ways of Serving” (Review of Ignatian Spirituality XXXVIII, 3/2007) David Fleming, SJ unpacks the Ignatian concept of service. He describes St. Ignatius’ understanding of service as an act of humility and of being helpful–yet not something that conjures up “great deeds and great accomplishments.” Fleming, SJ reminds us that St. Ignatius understood love as the foundation of service, that service is expressed in deeds more than in words, and that service cannot be restricted to certain actions: to follow is to serve; to be available is to serve; to accompany is to serve; to advocate is to serve; to forgive and to be compassionate is to serve. Fleming, SJ reminds us that for St. Ignatius, to serve is always to share one’s gifts, talents, and strengths.

Volunteerism is a form of community service and, for this application, service does not only mean “volunteerism,” or engagement/work that is offered without financial compensation or other forms of remuneration. Forms of community service can receive compensation, such as through a monetary award, summer housing subsidy, or Federal Work Study salary.

How does the review committee understand or define “community”?

Functionally, “community” — as it applies to the award’s understanding of “community service” — is a group of people who are in relationship with one another, not necessarily bound by place, institution, or building, but rather by the desire to meet common needs. Thus, community for an applicant may mean the Hilltop or Qatar campus; Washington, DC or Doha; a hometown; a group of people who share a salient identity (i.e. disability, LGBTQ, Catholic); people within an area of the world (i.e. US/Mexico border, rural counties); or certain populations (i.e. adolescent girls of color) with whom the applicant has developed a significant relationship. At Georgetown, we often use the terms community-engaged or community-based to describe such service or social justice work.

Is a recommendation required?

The process requires that each applicant make a request to a Georgetown faculty or staff member to submit a recommendation form on their behalf. The recommendation form is due by 5:00pm ET on Friday, January 25, 2024. Your recommender should email their form to landeggerserviceawards@georegetown.edu by the deadline.

If you have additional questions, please email landeggerserviceawards@georgetown.edu