This year’s winners of the President’s Award for Service to the Community have both fully embraced the idea that education is not something that ends at the edge of William & Mary’s campus.

Katherine Barko-Alva, associate professor in the School of Education, takes her approach to bilingual education directly to the area’s K-12 schools, to community centers and to faith-based organizations.

Hannah Wolfe ’26 volunteered as a literacy tutor at The Arc of Greater Williamsburg, a nonprofit that serves adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and wound up as co-leader of the tutoring program. 

They also share a humility that underscores their commitment to helping out.

“I could name 20 students who deserve this award,” Wolfe said. “There’s just something about William & Mary that breeds community service-driven people.” 

“It is lovely to get the recognition, but it is very humbling, too,” Barko-Alva said. 

Engagement with communities near and far is one of William & Mary’s core values, devoting knowledge, skills and time to serving the greater good. 

Both women will be presented with their awards at Opening Convocation on Aug. 27. 

The service entrance

Barko-Alva joined the faculty in 2016. She arrived for her first day in August at 7 a.m. and found herself locked out of the School of Education because her ID had not been activated. She tried every door until she spotted a delivery truck and, with her ID in hand, asked the driver if she could kindly let her into the building. “I called mamá to tell her about my ordeal, and she said, ‘I am glad you got in through the service door. Always remember, it was the service door.’” 

Barko-Alva took that advice to heart. A teacher of teachers, “Dr. BA” or “Profe” as she is known, is committed to ensuring that some of the most vulnerable students in local K-12 schools get the support they need. A native of Perú, she was once one of those English-language learners herself, emigrating with her family to Florida when she was 15. As an undergrad at the University of Florida, she worked with migrant communities and learned the importance of embracing the entire family, not just the student.

In Williamsburg, in addition to teaching at the School of Education, she serves as co-director of the W&M Scholars Undergraduate Research Experience (WMSURE) and is a Reveley Interdisciplinary Faculty Fellow. She delivers workshops to K-12 content area teachers, offers classroom support to ESL high school teachers and organizes “family workshops” for Spanish-speaking families. With Sociology Professor Jennifer Bickham-Mendez, she founded Aprendiendo Juntos (Learning Together), an initiative at the Grove Christian Outreach Center that provides academic support to Spanish-speaking students and offers monthly community workshops for their Spanish-speaking families.

“She has created a nurturing environment where students feel empowered to excel academically,” said Marie Nice, coordinator of English as a second language programs at Williamsburg James City County schools. “Her dedication to fostering strong relationships with families has been instrumental in creating a supportive community around our students.”

Perhaps most importantly, she brings W&M students into the fold, providing these future teachers with invaluable first-hand experience. Over the past two academic years, the program has placed 116 W&M students as tutors in two local high schools with approximately 816 hours of service in the classroom. “Without them we would not be able to accomplish anything,” Barko-Alva said. “All this collaboration is possible due to the support of W&M students. I am just in awe of them.”  

In 2021, Barko-Alva  received one of William & Mary’s most prestigious honors, the Thomas Jefferson Teaching Award, for her “tireless commitment to a vision of inclusive, high-quality public education for all.”

“Dr. Barko-Alva embodies the values that define William & Mary’s mission: a passion for learning, a commitment to community and a deep respect for the transformative power of education,” said Professor Iyabo Osiapem, co-director of WMSURE. “Her work extends the boundaries of (William & Mary) and its reach.” 

Bonding over Harry Potter

Wolfe, a pre-med major who hopes to become a pediatric neurologist, was introduced to The Arc of Greater Williamsburg through her sorority. It changed the trajectory of her life at William & Mary. 

The Arc, a nonprofit dedicated to providing services and support to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is Pi Beta Phi’s local philanthropy partner. Wolfe signed on as a literacy tutor for the agency in her first year in Williamsburg.

“I was immediately struck by this student’s initiative,” said Kellie Wasson, programs and volunteer coordinator for The Arc. “She committed time and energy to the logistics of the program long before the actual meetings began.” 

Her experience volunteering as a tutor led her to run for director of service for Pi Beta Phi, a position that co-leads the literacy program at The Arc and organizes fundraising events. 

“I really enjoyed the work I was doing there, so much so that then I ran to be Vice President of Philanthropy for William & Mary’s Panhellenic Society,” Wolfe said.  She organized her sorority’s participation in a school-wide competition that they won. She used the prize money to purchase resources for the literacy program. 

She and one of her literacy clients bonded over their love of the Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling. She even wonders if she got more out of the experience than her tutees. 

“It’s just super rewarding,” she said. 

Last year, Wolfe was instrumental in organizing more than 200 Arc clients and their student partners to participate in a cherished event: the Arc Carnival, which Wolfe said was a complete success.

The awards include a $500 donation made in the recipient’s name to a community organization of their choice. Wolfe chose The Arc. Barko-Alva’s donation will be split between the Grove Christian Outreach Center and 3e Restoration, a nonprofit addressing homelessness.