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Student awarded for service to war refugees

Ian Wingfield of the State Press Kameron Kerger, 22, a Russian and history senior at ASU, stands by the United States flag in front of the MU after receiving the first Student Servant-Leader Award Wednesday. The award was given to Kerger while attending the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration breakfast where she was honored for her volunteer work with Serbo-Croation refugees in Phoenix.

By Melissa Bradsher
State Press

After more than a year of volunteering her time and energy to refugees, Kameron Kerger was recognized for her efforts Wednesday morning.

Kerger, 22, a Russian and history senior at ASU, received the first Student Servant-Leader Award at the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration breakfast Wednesday. She was honored for her volunteer work with Serbo-Croatian refugees living in Phoenix.

"Servant leadership means the giving of oneself substantially and thoroughly," said Lattie Coor, ASU president. "It is for that spirit of person in Kameron, reaching out and establishing what will be a lifelong pattern of service, that we honor her today."

Kerger's said her relationship with the refugees began over a year ago, when she learned that several refugee families were living in an apartment complex near her Glendale home. Armed only with her knowledge of Russian and her previous volunteer work in Siberia, Kerger introduced herself to the families and offered to help.

"I got to know the families and learned their stories," Kerger said. "I started teaching them English, and it just exploded into this whole thing of helping them to register their kids for school, find health care and fill out applications."

The project soon developed into a full-time outreach that extended to more than 25 families. She learned to speak Serbo-Croatian in the process, which she said was easy because of her background in Russian. Kerger also spent six weeks last summer in an Albanian refugee camp for Kosovar-Albanians.

In addition to her volunteer work, Kerger organized a partnership program to pair refugees with American families. The growing number of refugees forced her to find more help.

"It's not that difficult to teach English," Kerger said. "It's all about establishing a relationship with the people. I'm trying to get more people teaching so that it's not just me out there."

Kerger also is compiling a handbook on refugee assistance. The book will contain information about culture and religion in the former Yugoslavia, tips on teaching English and a glossary to help learn the language. She plans to copyright the book because of high demand for the information, she said.

Kerger doesn't plan to stop her volunteer work when she graduates in May. As an intern program coordinator at her church, she would like to continue with that position and establish official English classes through the church. She would also like to get her teaching certificate and teach history or a foreign language.

For Kerger and her family, the award is not as important as what she has accomplished.

"I'm really touched," said Becky Kerger, Kameron's mother. "It's wonderful for her to receive recognition today. But we watch her do this daily and we're her favorite fans and supporters."

Kerger shared honors with the Rev. Warren Stewart, pastor of the First Institutional Baptist Church of Phoenix, who won the Community Servant-Leader award.

This was the sixth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration breakfast and the second year the breakfast committee sponsored the award.

Melissa Bradsher can be reached by e-mail at melissa.bradsher@asu.edu.