Staff Member Jorden King Receives Jefferson Award for Public Service
For more than 50 years, the Jefferson Awards by Multiplying Good has recognized the nation’s top changemakers and service leaders for their transformative impact on their communities. Past winners include Oprah Winfrey, Shaquille O’Neal, and former president Jimmy Carter.
Jorden King, assistant director of student and career services for the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, can now count himself among the recipients of this prestigious award.
“It feels great to be in a community of people who also won this award and to have the same type of values about leadership and community service,” says King. “This award made me feel so much gratitude for the opportunity to be able to support others in their leadership and service journey.”
Multiplying Good is a national nonprofit focused on elevating public service as a means to empower individuals. The Multiplying Good Pittsburgh Chapter presented King with the Jefferson Award during a ceremony in Pittsburgh on May 16, 2024.
The award recognizes King’s involvement in the Multiplying Good ChangeMakers program. Through the program, King engaged in volunteer, networking, and fundraising events over the course of 16 weeks.
After his nomination into the ChangeMakers program in 2023, King participated in Multiplying Good’s Students in Action initiative. Students in Action works with middle and high school students to help them identify causes they are passionate about and then build the skills needed to take action.
King led workshops for Students in Action participants to develop their own community service projects. He also organized a fundraiser that raised $2,500, which supports the cost of the program for half of a Students in Action team.
“I’ve always found ways to give back to the community,” says King. “It has been instilled in me to do things with and for communities from a very young age and I am glad I can continue to do that.”
King’s knack for service and community engagement extends to his work as a staff member at Pitt Education. In his role, he plans academic, social, cultural, and community-oriented programs for students in the school. He also leads the school’s Student Ambassador program, processes Act 48 continuing education credits, and supports the planning of new student orientation and commencement.
King has personal insight into the student experience at Pitt Education — he graduated from the school’s Master of Education in Higher Education program in 2022 and is now a student in the PhD in Higher Education program. As a PhD student, King is interested in researching how student health and wellbeing is centered on college campuses, particularly for Black and queer students.
“It’s a really unique experience to be working full-time and to be a part-time student because you’re learning so much and you want to apply it to your work,” says King. “Within the PhD program, I get to challenge myself to figure out how I can put theory into practice.”
Learn More
The Pitt School of Education’s Office of Student and Career Services provides personalized student support and a variety of academic, social, and professional development opportunities. Learn more about resources and opportunities for students.
Discover Pitt Education’s Master of Education, Doctor of Education, and PhD programs in Higher Education.
