Kamilah Tadlock

Kamilah Tadlock’s passion for the environment and youth with special needs inspires her to serve.

During the summer of 2010, Tadlock began volunteering at the Volunteer Center for Anne Arundel County in Annapolis, Maryland. She began her service as a Summer Serve Volunteer through the organization’s Youth Volunteer Corps program. Throughout the summer, Tadlock worked with special-needs youth and their able siblings. She assisted with arts and crafts, music, dance and sports activities. In addition, her summer service experience involved park clean ups and landscaping for the opening of an adaptive baseball field. Inspired by her brother who has Down syndrome, Tadlock volunteered more than 114 hours that summer assisting campers with disabilities.

In August 2011, Tadlock joined the Volunteer Center’s team as an intern. While working at the center during the day, Tadlock volunteered during her off hours on evenings and weekends at the center to write grants and lead environmental projects. Tadlock’s leadership generated excitement among her peers and many community members motivating them to volunteer with the environmental projects she led at Anne Arundel County parks. Among her volunteers, Tadlock made a special effort to encourage and engage youth with mental and physical disabilities to volunteer for the environmental projects.

Now a freshman at the University of Maryland studying engineering, Tadlock remains active in the Volunteer Center’s environmental projects when she comes home from college, as well as participates in Special Olympics and other adaptive sports activities at Anne Arundel County parks. Through her involvement with the Volunteer Center, Tadlock has engaged more than 120 youth volunteers (including youth with disabilities) in volunteer projects.

Even while attending college during the year, Tadlock continues to serve her surrounding community. As a freshman, she has already joined Terps for Change, a community service organization connecting University of Maryland students with the local community through sustained, collaborative, and meaningful community service learning. Additionally, she has become a volunteer for University of Maryland’s crisis hotline.