“Anne is always positive and focused on getting even less glamorous jobs done,” said an official of the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program in nominating Anne Judson, Saint Michael's College director of graduate education, for the United Way’s Hometown Hero Volunteer of the Month.
Dr. Judson was named Hometown Hero on Jan. 12, for her tireless, long-standing commitment to volunteering for the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program. Ashley Bahlkow, community advancement coordinator for the refugee program, wrote that “Anne picks up furniture and other donated goods, does grocery shopping for families, and provides items for the program’s Welcome Kit. She also helps collect and distribute children’s clothing . . . and willingly does whatever needs doing.”
Anne Judson was also awarded the 2009 SMC Norbert A. Kuntz Service Award for her dedication to the education programs at Saint Michael’s. In describing her last fall, her colleagues said, Anne has served for the past 12 years as director of graduate education, and has “led the department through curriculum revisions, added new programs and ultimately transformed the graduate program to offer both on-campus and off-campus programs of study.” The citation also recognized her outside efforts.
“Anne Judson simply goes about making things happen to improve the lives of others,” the SMC award citation read. “Whether she is helping someone find employment or calling a dentist to ask them to donate services for someone in the community, Anne does it all without expecting thanks or acknowledgement.” She was called “a true model of humility and service.”
Anne Judson and her husband Tim Parsons reside in Burlington.
Learn What Matters at Saint Michael’s College, The Edmundite Catholic liberal arts college, www.smcvt.edu. Saint Michael’s provides education with a social conscience, producing graduates with the intellectual tools to lead a successful, purposeful life that will contribute to peace and justice in our world. Founded in 1904 by the Society of St. Edmund and headed by President John J. Neuhauser, Saint Michael’s is identified by the Princeton Review as one of the nation’s Best 371 Colleges. It is one of 270 colleges and universities nationwide, and one of only 20 Catholic colleges, with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter. Saint Michael’s has 1,900 undergraduate students, some 500 graduate students and 100 international students. Saint Michael’s students and professors have received Rhodes, Woodrow Wilson, Pickering, Guggenheim, Fulbright, and other grants. The college is one of the nation’s Best Liberal Arts Colleges as listed in the 2009 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Saint Michael’s is located just outside Burlington, Vermont, one of America’s top college towns.