County Executive Recognizes Midshipmen’s Service to Local Community

By MC2 Jonathan Correa

Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh visited the U.S. Naval Academy Oct. 23 to present a certificate of appreciation to the Brigade of Midshipmen during noon meal in King Hall.

The Governor’s Volunteer Service Certificate from the state of Maryland was presented to the brigade on behalf of the governor for their community outreach throughout Anne Arundel County.

“The brigade’s selfless support and mentorship of so many of our county’s young people through Mids for Kids, Big Brother Big Sister, and Young Engineers and Scientists is truly commendable,” said Schuh. “I cannot tell you how proud the citizens of this county are to be hosting an institution of such importance to the national security of the United States of America.”

Midshipmen perform their community outreach through the Midshipman Action Group (MAG). MAG manages more than 50 projects and 500 midshipman volunteers throughout the year, and their work covers a variety of areas. They mentor and tutor local students; help conserve the environment conservation; organize food drives to help fight hunger, poverty, and homelessness; and promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) programs.

MAG contributed more than 26,000 of community service hours during the 2014-15 academic year and is on track to exceed that number this year.

“Right now we are collecting food for the Anne Arundel County Harvest for the Hunger food drive and hoping to collect more than we did the year before,” said Midshipman 1st Class Zachary Dannelly, MAG president. “We are continuing to help out the youth in the local community with Mids of Kids, the Big Brother Big Sister projects, and we are hoping to be able to do a joint community project with the cadets from West Point during Army-Navy week.”

The citation was a way for county and state leadership to show the brigade of midshipmen just how important they are to the community.

“It is a really humbling honor to have somebody of his standing come and speak to us,” said Dannelly. “I think for the brigade to see the support of the City of Annapolis from the highest levels, it will more encourage more MAG participation and bolster the individual project leaders to help them understand that what they do makes a huge impact with outreach to our community.”

MAG is dedicated to assisting members of the brigade in becoming active servants of the community by facilitating community relationships through organized service projects, and to recognize midshipmen accomplishments in community service as they occur throughout the brigade. MAG is dedicated to creating a positive and lasting impact on the lives of the citizens they serve.