BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) honored students Michael Alvarado, Isabella Peña, and Maggie Spellings with the Gary and Diane Heavin Servant Leadership Award today during the final Chapel service this semester.
The award recognizes the students' extraordinary time and energy devoted to ministry and community service during their years of study at UMHB. The award is named for Mr. and Mrs. Gary Heavin of Waco, who established a generous endowment at UMHB to fund this recognition annually. The honor included a $1,000 cash award for each student, a portion of which could be donated to an organization of their choice.
"We are really proud of Michael, Isabella, and Maggie's commitment to ministry and community service and are thrilled to honor them with this award," said UMHB's Vice President for Student Life Brandon Skaggs. "We are excited to see how God will continue to use them in extraordinary ways to grow His kingdom."
Michael Alvarado is a senior small business and entrepreneurship major from Rockwall, TX, who attends Grace Church in Salado. He is the son of Gary and Maria Alvarado. While at UMHB, Alvarado has participated in Cru Knights, First Year Collective, Stunt Night, Easter Pageant, Revival, and intramural sports. He's also served as a Welcome Week Cru Leader and in various leadership roles on campus. Alvarado is giving a portion of his cash award to Grace Church Salado.
Isabella Peña is a senior exercise physiology major with a concentration in strength and conditioning from Waco, TX. She attends Vista Community Church and is the daughter of Dr. Aaron and Patricia Peña. She has been a member of the National Championship-winning UMHB Dance Team for the past three years, has served as a Welcome Week Cru Leader, and was the choreographer for Stunt Night and the Miss MHB Pageant. Peña plans to donate a portion of her cash award to Unbound Now Waco, a nonprofit organization that serves survivors and resource communities to fight human trafficking.
Maggie Spellings is a senior social work major from Round Rock, TX who attends Grace Church Salado. She is the daughter of Tracy and Sonya Spellings. During her time at UMHB, she has been a Welcome Week Cru Leader and Captain, a member of First Year Collective, a Spiritual Life student worker, and a participant in Easter Pageant. Spellings attended mission trips to Costa Rica, served alongside college students at Beach Reach, served as a leader with many local Temple-based ministries, and worked at a Christian summer camp. She is a member of Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society, the UMHB Social Work Club, and presented at UMHB's Watson Scholars' Day. She is giving a portion of her cash award to Feed My Sheep, a Christ-centered, Temple-based, volunteer-driven nonprofit organization formed to provide nourishment and basic human needs to the homeless and needy people of Bell County.
