MSU-Northern student receives award for her prolific volunteer work

Montana State University-Northern Senior Jennell Huff was recognized with The Montana Student Volunteer Award by the Governor's Office of Community Service and Montana Campus Compact campuses.

The award was unexpected for Huff.

"I was very shocked and very humbled. Very, very humbled to even be considered, and I didn't know until the newspaper contacted me and I was like, 'What are you talking about?"

Huff is a business administration major and is pursuing a minor in community leadership. She was nominated by Northern community leadership Professor Randy Bachmeier, who described her as a model of civic engagement actively serving her immediate community and beyond.

"She's an incredible student, her work is always exceptional, above and beyond expectations," Bachmeier said. "Considering she works full time, goes to school and manages to do all of that volunteer work, that's just an incredible testament to her."

Some of Huff's achievements range from volunteering as an officer on multiple local and state boards, including current treasurer and past president and secretary of the Wilsall Foundation. She is also on the boards of the Montana Financial Education Coalition and current chair of the Montana Elder Fraud and Exploitation Prevention Network.

What drives Huff to volunteer goes as far back as to when she was a child, she said.

"I think it's just kind of in me. I guess in a way it was how I was raised. My parents were always volunteers, they kind of instilled that in us as kids," Huff said. "It's something I hope I have instilled in my son. It's just who I am."

She has volunteered since she was a child, but had to take a hiatus to raise her son. Then, when he went to school full time, she went to work full time. In that time, she was asked to volunteer for various things through church, work and community involvement. She estimates that she has volunteered for about 20 years.

One of Huff's greatest passions as a volunteer is bringing elder abuse and fraud to light.

"For one, I see there is a lot of denial that its even prevalent, even among the victims themselves. Unfortunately a lot of the exploitation comes from family members and close trusted friends," Huff said. "So that denial, 'Oh no, they wouldn't do that to me,' is there. Unfortunately the biggest detriment is those who suffer abuse and exploitation are three times as likely to suffer premature death."

She has been nationally recognized for her work in protecting the elderly from abuse, including an honorable mention for contributions to her employer's elder fraud awareness program by the American Bankers Association's Community Commitment Awards and a first place award in the category of Protecting Older Americans.

The Montana Student Volunteer Award is presented through a partnership between the Governor's Office of Community Service and Montana Campus Compact campuses.  Honorees of this annual award are college students across the state who demonstrate dedication to service in their communities while pursuing a college degree or certificate.

This year, 12 awards were presented, including Huff's.

Bullock praised the 12 recipients of the Governor's Office of Community Service.

"These young Montanans embody the spirit of service that is at the core of our values as a state," Bullock said in a release about the awards. "This year, more than ever, we need folks like these students who get out there and work to effect positive change in their communities. This is only the start of what is likely a lifelong commitment to service, and I cannot wait to see what each accomplishes in the upcoming years."