Higher education not only introduces students to a more global view of the world; it also teaches them how their voices and efforts can have a ripple effect of impact. This is especially true of civic engagement, a practice that is learned, modeled, and encouraged at UNCG. Mentors play a critical role in helping students recognize their power to make a difference in their communities and beyond.
Fortunately for Spartans, Jarrod Rudd ’13, director of the Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement (OLCE) in the Division of Student Affairs, is on the case.
Starting with Service
Rudd returned to his alma mater in 2021 with a passion to empower students to serve their community and be changemakers. By 2024, he was heading up OLCE, the office that students turn to for engagement in local service projects and leadership development.
Service day T-shirts are emblazoned with the word “changemakers,” reflecting OLCE’s mission to turn Spartans into changemakers for their communities. “You don’t need to be the mayor to be a changemaker,” Rudd says. “I want students to understand their values and live through that. I truly believe in the motto of the University… service.”
Under his direction, OLCE’s service days, which call for students to volunteer with local nonprofits on Spartan Service Day in September and MLK Day of Service in January, fill to capacity with waitlists. Now there are service days every other week, connecting students with volunteer work in Greensboro. This year, he also secured a grant to add a 9/11 Day of Service to the mix.
“It was powerful,” he says about teaching students about 9/11’s impact on communities. “Even as we think about our current environment, we reflected on what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, and also what happened afterwards. How did people come together? What type of community did we build? How did we show up for one another?”
Starting small and showing up for one another is how Rudd teaches students about civic engagement. When students are feeling discouraged by current events, he offers simple advice: “Advocate for what you believe in by starting small conversations within your friend group. This is how hope is inspired.”
Vested in Voting
Rudd’s hope and enthusiasm for civic engagement really comes alive when elections, like next week’s primaries, are happening: “Today’s debates are sparking curiosity in students, and I want to support that and encourage them to use their voice in many ways — whether that is voting, attending city council meetings, or writing to elected officials.”
To prepare for the primary election on March 3, Rudd worked with student groups to demystify the election process and help them “make a plan” to vote. Asking questions like “Are you registered?” “Where are you registered?” “How will you get to the polls?” helps them craft a plan. In addition to meeting one-on-one with students, he also empowered student catalyst leaders to share election information with campus organizations and peer groups.
Voting plans for students were further complicated when early voting polls closed at UNCG and across town at NC A&T State University. Convenient polling locations are important to students who may be casting their very first ballot while in college.
Removing barriers to election participation is a priority for Rudd, who coordinated transportation for students wanting to vote early. On Feb. 25 and 26, shuttles will run from the EUC to the courthouse on Market Street so they can participate in early voting. Sign up here to join them.
“This was an instance where we were truly listening to our students who were upset about the early voting poll closing,” he explains. “We knew that mandate wasn’t going to change, so our action was to get them there.”
These may sound like extra measures for a primary election, but Rudd wants students to get involved early. “They have more power than they actually think,” he says.
Deserving of Distinction
Rudd was honored for his work when he was named the 2026 Civic Engagement Professional of the Year by North Carolina Campus Engagement . The award recognizes exceptional leadership in advancing civic learning, strengthening campus-community partnerships, and embedding civic engagement into institutional practice.
Rudd’s’ colleagues on the UNCG Community Engagement Council nominated him for his role in transforming civic engagement from a set of individual programs into a coordinated and mission-aligned institutional effort. His management of UNCG student leadership programs, voter education efforts, community-based career experiences, and campus-wide service events made him a clear choice.
Students agree that his reach has real impact. Zainab Adamou-Mohamed is a recent UNCG graduate who now serves on his staff. She originally met Rudd when she served as an OLCE catalyst leader and has watched him welcome students to service-day events since she was a first-year.
“His upbeat and encouraging tone appeals to students who are unfamiliar or even nervous about participating in service,” she says. ”It reflects his ongoing commitment to empowering young people through acceptance, warmth, and encouragement, no matter where they are in their leadership journey.”
Judd loves working with students like Adamou-Mohamed, but he is quick to credit UNCG staff and faculty cooperation.
“Every day, I get to see UNCG students step into their power as changemakers, whether that is making a plan to vote, serving alongside someone with a different perspective, or building partnerships that create real impact in Greensboro,” he says. “This award is deeply meaningful because it reflects the collective commitment of our campus and community partners to civic engagement. It is not just recognition of my work, but of the incredible ways UNCG students show up to make their communities stronger.”
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications and Nicole Merritt, Student Affairs.
Photos by Sean Norona, University Communications.
