As the academic year begins at William & Mary, two members of the university community are being honored for their exemplary commitment and volunteer work.

Michelle Indelicato (graduating ’25) and Debbie Ramer, clinical instructor of special education and director of the special education program at William & Mary School of Education, will be honored with the 2024 President’s Award for Service to the Community during this year’s commencement convocation on August 28 in the Wren Courtyard.

The annual award is given to one student and one faculty member and recognizes those “who have demonstrated sustained commitment to service and made a significant and measurable impact on our community.” Winners are selected by W&M Civic & Community Engagement and the Office of the President, and the award comes with a cash prize donated to a community organization of the honoree’s choice.

“This year there were nearly 40 applicants,” said Richard Thompson, deputy director of civic and community engagement. “The committee selected the winners based on their positive impact, passionate leadership and demonstrated service in our communities.”

Michelle Indelicato ’25

Team leader for the Williamsburg Engagement Program, virtual researcher for the Food Empowerment Project, and volunteer with the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria are just a few of the roles Indelicato has held with various service and community-based organizations and projects.

“I was so honored to be nominated for this award, so it is an even greater honor to receive it,” she said.

Indelicato has a double major in sociology and religious studies with a focus on social issues, policy and justice. She initially began her volunteer work to learn more about her new community. Over time, she began to explore how she could serve the Williamsburg area.

“The opportunity to be so deeply involved in the Williamsburg community was by far one of the greatest highlights of my time at William & Mary,” she said. “I was able to build relationships with local nonprofits, community members from diverse backgrounds and students who share my passion for service.”

The Grove Christian Outreach Center, a local center that provides food, clothing, financial and transportation assistance to those in need, has benefited greatly from Indelicato’s service. She says she plans to donate any cash prizes she receives from this award to the center.

“Over the past year, I have been able to help hundreds of families at Grove Christian Outreach Center and ensure they have the resources and support they need to live healthy and happy lives,” she said. “I am excited to be able to support the incredible work they do there.”

Indelicato’s teachers have also praised her work in and outside of the classroom.

“Michelle’s community involvement during her time at William & Mary has been comprehensive and equity-focused,” said Elizabeth Miller, assistant director of civic and community engagement. “She has been deeply involved in a variety of programs and social issues, developing her own civic leadership and skills as an active citizen, and skillfully fostering those skills in her peers as well.”

She is also the team leader of the Williamsburg Engagement Program, a W&M-sponsored program that allows students to work with community partners to develop a deeper understanding of the community. Students are encouraged to select a specific nonprofit organization to support.

“One of my most rewarding experiences over the past few years has been helping the Williamsburg Engagement program grow,” said Indelicato. “Since I joined the program three years ago, we have brought on several new community partners and continued to increase the number of students participating in weekly service activities.”

Indelicato says that after she graduates next year, she plans to return to the Washington, D.C., area to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector.

“I am so grateful for all of the incredible opportunities William & Mary has provided me during my time here,” she said. “I am honored to be part of a campus community that prioritizes and celebrates service and social change.”

Debbie Ramer

Ramer discovered her passion for special education while completing her undergraduate degree at James Madison University and working as a student teacher. Through this experience, she realized there was a gap in reading skills among students and decided to learn more about how to help them.

“I got a degree in special education and became an elementary school special education teacher,” she said.

Today, Ramer is a clinical instructor of special education and director of the special education program at the W&M School of Education. She has also been involved in the local community, building relationships and advocating for others.

“It is a great honor to be nominated and selected for this award. All colleges and universities value research and teaching, but they often do not recognize and value service to the community,” Ramer said.

Ramer is also co-director of the Literacy Lab, an initiative that provides local reading instruction and tutoring to elementary school students. They provide “explicit, systematic, and multisensory tutoring to support reading needs.”

In partnership with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and W&M’s Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC), the Literacy Lab launched the Orton-Gillingham Scholars program this summer, which provides W&M special education students the opportunity to receive training in multisensory structured literacy to assist struggling readers or dyslexic students.

“Our overall goal with the lab is to support local schools and teachers in providing effective literacy instruction and to help families understand how they can support their children’s literacy process at home,” she said.

Since its founding in 2020, the Literacy Lab has seen an expansion of its services and the number of students in need of assistance. This expansion suffered a severe setback during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the COVID pandemic, we provided virtual tutoring, and then when classes started again in person, we resumed in-person classes,” Ramer said.

Ramer’s work in the community goes above and beyond to make a lasting impact on the lives of children, their families and their colleagues.

“Debbie is knowledgeable, caring, dedicated and contributes actively to everything she does, whether through community-focused scholarship and teaching or as an active citizen of our community,” said Melody Porter, director of civic and community engagement at William & Mary.

In addition to her work at the Literacy Lab, Ramer works with organizations such as Camp Kasem, a center supporting children of people with cancer, and One Child Center for Autism, a nonprofit organization supporting children and families affected by autism and other developmental disorders.

Her passion for working with special education and at-risk youth stems from the fact that she began teaching students with a variety of disabilities in grades K-5 and grew her desire to teach children to read and to help remediate reading problems.

“Literacy is an equity issue. When students struggle with reading, it can affect their academic careers, and the long-term consequences of reading disability are devastating,” Ramer said. “I firmly believe that all children should have access to high-quality, effective reading instruction and the support they need if they have a disability, regardless of their income or where they live.”

Ramer says she is eager to grow the Literacy Lab and increase her commitment to community service, balancing her love of working with young children and her teaching career at a college level.

“I am proud to work for a college that recognizes and values ​​our community service,” she said. “It enriches our scholarship and teaching and enhances our relationship with the community in which we work and live.”

Claudette Brooks