Burgin elected Student Body President; Give Day 2022 is one for the books

DEREK BURGIN ELECTED STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT

By Nathan Droege ’19

Derek Burgin has been named Student Body President of North Central University for the 2022–23 school year. Burgin, a sophomore and Interdisciplinary Studies major, is also North Central’s first George Floyd scholarship recipient. He will begin his term in the fall with junior Kaylie Crabtree as Student Body Vice President.

Burgin became open to pursuing the key student-leadership role after peers encouraged him to step up. It’s the latest leadership experience in a succession of opportunities throughout high school and college.

At his home church in Illinois, Burgin started by being “voluntold” for leadership roles by family members who worked at the church. “My cousin is the youth pastor, another cousin is the worship leader, another cousin is the head pastor, and my grandparents are elders,” said Burgin. Equipped by this heritage and by a steady stream of leadership experiences, Burgin discovered natural skills and is eager to serve the North Central student body.

Building up the student population is a core value for Burgin, and he also wants to prioritize efforts to increase unity on campus. “We’ve been talking about being unified for the past year, and we’ve seen a little bit of it progress, but we really want to … push [unity] even more,” he said.

Receiving the George Floyd scholarship has been a rewarding mix: both “fun” and “unreal,” and he sees student leadership as a way to reciprocate what he’s been given. Burgin said that giving back is a central part of his and Crabtree’s motivation to lead the student body. “We think that this best represents what Christ wants us to do,” he said, and wants the students they lead to know, “We love you guys; we’re here for you.”

The George Floyd Memorial Scholarship was initiated in 2020 by President Scott Hagan. You can read more of Derek Burgin’s story at northcentral.edu/derek

Nathan Droege ’19 is Assistant Dean of Housing and Student Development.

GIVE DAY 2022 IS ONE FOR THE BOOKS

North Central University’s annual GIVE DAY on March 10 and 11 raised $63,575 to renovate the second floor of the TJ Jones Library. The donations from 289 alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends of the university were augmented by generous matching funds from an anonymous donor, setting new GIVE DAY records for participation and money raised.

The beloved TJ Jones Library is a 108-year-old building that serves as the academic epicenter of North Central University. The remodel will preserve the elegance and grandeur of the neighborhood icon and, at the same time, create updated, upgraded, state-of-the-art library spaces on

the second floor. In addition to the generosity from GIVE DAY donors, the high-density shelving needed to house the second-floor collection is being donated to NCU by Colorado Christian University (CCU).

The library staff is thrilled about the project and the NCU community’s support for the library. The Facilities Management crew is overseeing the renovations and began the project in late March, with completion anticipated by the time students return for fall semester.

Find renovation progress updates on our social media channels throughout the summer.