New River Community College student Addison Levy and two alumni, Jami Martin and Hannah Westbrook, were recently honored in a virtual event by New River Valley Leading Lights for their volunteer work in the New River Valley.
Leading Lights is an organization that acknowledges and honors volunteers across the New River Valley who are making community-changing impacts.
Levy’s community involvement includes a multitude of organizations such as Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, National Honor Society, First Tech Challenge, Relay for Life, Floydfest, Houstonfest, Chantilly Farms, Newbern Community Christian Church, New River Community College and the Christmas Store of Pulaski.
She is currently a volunteer with First Tech Challenge, a robotics competition league. Her band “Gate 10,” for which she is a vocalist, performs at nursing homes, community events and fundraisers around theNRV. She has also assisted with numerous fundraisers including Relay for Life, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, academic scholarships and church conferences.
Levy was selected by NRV Leading Lights as a distinguished recipient and received $500 to donate to a NRV nonprofit of her choosing, and she selected the local program affiliate of Junior Appalachian Musicians.
Martin’s dream to work in a “helping profession” has been the cornerstone of her volunteer service. She provides safe child care for infants at her church, Cornerstone Pentecostal Holiness Church in Narrows. Martin was a Giles County Access to Community College Education (ACCE) Scholar through NRCC, and she also appeared in a promotional video for ACCE during which she articulated the importance of giving back to her community. She volunteered for two years at the school lunch program at Narrow High School, a program that provides food to students and community members during the summer months in Giles County at a small cost. Martin also served on the 2020 Black History Committee at NRCC and served as a vocalist at the celebration. She plans to transition her desire to help others into a career in the medical field. Martin graduated from NRCC in the spring of 2020.
Westbrook’s love for animals, including her own dog, cats, lizards and goats, has turned into a passion for helping animals in need. She currently volunteers to care for animals while studying to become a veterinarian. Beyond furry friends, Westbrook also volunteers with her church and does mission work. She is also involved in multiple town festivals, including the Narrows Fall Festival, Community Easter Egg Hunt and the Lord’s Acre Sale. She has also volunteered at the ReNew the New River yearly cleanup events and at the Giles County Land Lab. Westbrook volunteers at St. Albans Sanatorium in Radford where she helps to restore the buildings and gives tours. Her mission work has included helping to rebuild a house for an elderly woman. Westbrook graduated from NRCC in the spring of 2020.
