Belton, Texas – On Wednesday, November 14, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor honored seniors Sydney Stolz of College Station and Allison Stevens of Weatherford with the Gary and Diane Heavin Servant Leadership Award, in recognition of the extraordinary time and energy they have devoted to ministry and community service during their years of study at UMHB. The recognition included a $1,000 cash award for each student, a portion of which could be donated to an organization of her choice.
Stolz is a communications major with an emphasis in public relations. She has maintained a 3.8 grade point average while playing on the women’s volleyball team for the last three years and is a member of University Ambassadors. Stolz serves as a college assistant at Vista Community Church in Belton. She has served as director of the Psalm 139 Event at UMHB, a day designed to help women grow in their faith and foster community with others. Stolz gave a portion of her cash award to Young Life, a teen outreach ministry that she has been active in during her years at UMHB.
Stevens is a nursing major who has maintained a 3.2 GPA throughout her studies. At UMHB, she has served as a leader in First Year Council and Welcome Week. She has been active in Baptist Student Ministries and has taken a leadership role in Heart for the Nations, a community of students that meets regularly to pray, study the Bible, and support the spread of Christianity throughout the world. As a member of Temple Bible Church, Stevens has served as a youth intern and a mentor/leader for young people who live at Canyon Creek Townhomes in Temple. In recent years, she has also traveled to Uganda, the Arabian Peninsula, and France for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. She chose to give a portion of her cash award to Agape Impact Ministries, an organization which works with abandoned, abused, and orphaned children in the Philippines.
The Gary and Diane Heavin Servant Leadership Award is used to highlight the efforts of students who devote their time and talents to Christian service and to encourage other students to follow their examples. The award is named for Mr. and Mrs. Gary Heavin, who established a generous endowment at UMHB to fund this recognition annually.
