Michelle Indelicato ’25, Debbie Ramer to be celebrated for service to the community
As part of William & Mary’s kick-off to the academic year, two members of the university community will be celebrated for their exemplary commitment and dedication to service.
Michelle Indelicato ’25 and Debbie Ramer, clinical faculty in special education and director of the special education program at the William & Mary School of Education, will be honored with the 2024 President’s Award for Service to the Community during this year’s Opening Convocation on Aug. 28 in the Wren Courtyard.
The annual award is given to one student and one faculty member and recognizes those “who have demonstrated a 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 President’s Office, and the award carries a monetary prize, which is donated to a community organization of the award recipient’s choice.
“There were close to 40 applicants this year,” said Richard Thompson, associate director of civic & community engagement. “The committee selected the winners based on their positive impacts, passionate leadership and demonstrated service in our communities.”
Michelle Indelicato
A team leader for the Williamsburg Engagement Program, a virtual researcher for the Food Empowerment Project and a volunteer at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria are just some of the roles that Indelicato has held with various service and community-related organizations and projects.
“I felt so honored to simply be nominated for this award, so it’s an even greater honor to receive it,” she said.
A double major in sociology and religious studies with a concentration in social problems, policy and justice, Indelicato says she initially started volunteering to learn more about her new community. As time went on, she began determining ways in which she could share in supporting the Williamsburg area.
“Having the opportunity to engage so deeply with the Williamsburg community has by far been one of the biggest highlights of my time at William & Mary,” she said. “I’ve been able to grow 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 give any monetary prize received from this award to the center.
“This past year I was able to help serve hundreds of families at the Grove Christian Outreach Center and ensure that they have the resources and support they need to lead healthy and happy lives,” she said. “I am excited to support the incredible work they are doing there.’’
Indelicato’s instructors have also praised her work within the classroom and beyond.
“Michelle’s community engagement while at William & Mary has been comprehensive and justice-oriented,” said Elizabeth Miller, associate director for civic & community engagement. “She has engaged deeply across a diverse range of programs and social issues, developing her own civic leadership and active citizenship skills while deftly fostering the same in her peers.”
She is also a team leader for the Williamsburg Engagement Program, a W&M-sponsored program that allows students to collaborate with community partners to develop a deeper understanding of the community. It challenges students to select a specific non-profit to support.
“One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had over the past few years has been helping the Williamsburg Engagement program grow,” Indelicato said. “Since I joined the program three years ago, we’ve added multiple new community partners and continued to increase the number of students involved in weekly service activities.’’
Indelicato says after graduation next year she plans to move back to the Washington, D.C., area to pursue a career in non-profit work.
“I’m so grateful for all the incredible opportunities William & Mary has offered me throughout my time here,” she said. “I’m honored to be part of a campus community that prioritizes and celebrates service and social change.”
Debbie Ramer
Ramer became passionate about special education while completing her undergraduate degree at James Madison University and working as a student teacher. From that experience, she saw a gap in reading literacy among students and decided she wanted to learn more about how to help them.
“I earned a degree in special education and became an elementary special education teacher,” she said.
Now, Ramer is clinical faculty in special education and director of the special education Program at the W&M School of Education. She has also immersed herself in the local community, while building relationships and serving others.
“It is a great honor to have been nominated and selected for this award. All colleges and universities value research and teaching, but they often do not recognize or value service to the community,” Ramer said.
Ramer is also the co-director of the Literacy Lab, an initiative that offers reading and tutoring services to local elementary school students. They provide “explicit, systematic and multi-sensory 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 that affords W&M students pursuing special education the opportunity to be trained in multi-sensory structured literacy to support struggling readers or students with dyslexia.
“Our overarching goal with the lab is to assist local schools and teachers in providing effective literacy instruction and intervention and help families understand how they can support their children’s literacy journey at home,’’ she said.
Founded in 2020, the Literacy Lab has seen an expansion in the services and volume of students needing assistance, something that took a major setback during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
“During COVID, we tutored virtually, then once schools were back face-to-face, we resumed in-person tutoring,” said Ramer.
Ramer’s work within the community goes above and beyond to make a meaningful impact in the lives of children, their families and her colleagues.
“Debbie is competent, caring, dedicated and contributes vigorously to all she does in community-engaged scholarship and teaching, and as an active citizen in our community,” said Melody Porter, director of civic & community engagement at William & Mary.
In addition to her work with the Literacy Lab, Ramer works with organizations such as Camp Kasem, a center that supports children of people with cancer, and One Child Center for Autism, a nonprofit supporting children and families affected by autism and other developmental differences.
Her passion for working with special education and at-risk youth stems from her start teaching K-5 students with various disabilities, which increased her desire for teaching children how to read and remediate reading difficulties.
“Literacy is an equity issue. If students struggle with reading, their educational careers can be impacted, and the long-term consequences of being a poor reader are dismal,’’ Ramer said. “I firmly believe that all children should have access to high-quality, effective reading instruction and supports as needed if they have a disability, regardless of income level or where they live.’’
Ramer says she is eager to grow the Literacy Lab and expand her commitment to service and community, balancing her love of working with young children and teaching in higher education.
“I am proud to work for a college that recognizes and values our service work in our community,” she said. “It enriches our scholarship and teaching and improves our relationship with the community wherein we work and live.”
