Siena Heights University announced that Patrick Allen received the 28th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Service Award. Leah Mayer, the inter McNair Scholars director, recommended that Allen apply for the award. Once he applied, he was chosen from six finalists and received the award Jan. 18. He was honored during the annual MLK Dinner at Adrian College.

Allen is a senior at SHU majoring in nursing. In addition to being a McNair Scholar, he is a member of the Siena Student Nursing Association. In addition to Allen’s involvement on campus, he volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and at the Hope Community Center. He also volunteers for the food drive at Crossroads Community Church and blood pressure screenings through the SHU Student Nursing Association. Allen said he has achieved his dream and recently got accepted in Wayne State University to continue his education as a family nurse practitioner.
“I think the needs of the people in certain communities inspired me to choose to become a Family Nurse Practitioner more than anything,” Allen said.

He said SHU faculty members Dr. Matthew Barbee, Dr. Patricia Wallace, Dr. Julie Barst, Linette Will and Katie Jordan inspired him to pursue grad school along with many others.