Over the last few semesters, more than 70 students in Breta Hedges’ Business Communication courses have volunteered at least 15 hours each at sites that are partnered with Cal State Fullerton, including Second Harvest Food Bank, Fullerton Collaborative, Muckenthaler Cultural Center, Fullerton Fire Department, Village of Hope, Anaheim Family YMCA and the Irvine Chamber of Commerce. As part of the curriculum, the students have written analytical proposals to help increase marketing and social networking, safety, training, customer outreach and retention. “Adding community engagement to any course helps students strengthen their relationships to communities by volunteering at local nonprofit organizations and contributing productively to society while expanding their knowledge,” says Hedges. “I think one of the most impressive student projects within the course was the development of a tiered membership program for the Irvine Chamber of Commerce. The team gathered exceptional research from other chambers and put together a very impressive proposal.” A business communication professor, Hedges received the Outstanding Part-time Faculty Award last spring. She was commended for her work with CSUF’s Center for Internships and Community Engagement, which helps fulfill the university’s mission by creating opportunities for students outside the classroom.