Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 2020

Consistent with our motto of Ut Prosim, MLK Day of Service has been a tradition in our medical school for the last six years: to find a community organization and to get together among student staff and faculty to go out and to support the community. 

Dean Learman: It's January 20, 2020, and it's Martin Luther King birthday celebration and we are here celebrating a day of service at Renovation Alliance. This has been a tradition in our medical school for the last six years to find a community organization and to get together among student staff and faculty to go out and to support the community. 

Ellie Rigby, Executive Director, Renovation Alliance: They are working on building modular components of a handicap accessible ramp for a lady in northeast Roanoke who is currently waiting for her husband to be able to come home from a rehab facility. So this ramp will be the difference between this person's husband being able to come home or not. 

Class of 2022 student Marc Fromherz: [This is] definitely different than we normally do. We're out of the classroom, we're using power tools, which some us are better than others at using. We've been doing pretty well so far. 

Dean Learman: What a wonderful tradition here that our students have put together. Definitely consistent with our motto of Ut Prosim, and I am just delighted to be a part of it this year. 

Class of 2022 student Marc Fromherz: Since the community here in Roanoke has been so good, bringing us in and accepting us, you want to do something to give back, so it's a good way to get out of the classroom and actually help out the community here. 

Kick off at VTCSOM cafeteria with Dean Learman and N.L. Bishop speaking to the student staff and faculty volunteers Three volunteers assembling a ramp component. Three volunteers assembling a ramp component. Closeup of two student volunteers working on a ramp component. Two gents standing in the background Closeup of two volunteers as they build a ramp component Dean Lee Learman and student volunteer Dean Learman, staff member Dustin Womack and two volunteers laying out the lumber for a ramp component Faculty member Helena Carvalho and student creating information packets for the Roanoke community members Dean Lee Learman and Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Student Vitality N.L. Bishop Dean Lee Learman carrying a completed modular component out of the workshop Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Student Vitality working with Renovation Alliance volunteer at a power drill Dean Learman, staff member Dustin Womack and two volunteers laying out the lumber for a ramp component

After building the components for this ramp, VTCSOM staff member Ron Bradbury returned with Renovation Alliance to install the ramp at it's final destination.

Completed ramp installed - MLK day of service

Service Learning Spotlight