The science of service: BW grad fights hunger, wins leadership award

Recent Baldwin Wallace chemistry grad Nina Bauman '22 knows the formula for a purpose-filled life goes beyond career success. Her dedicated service to Harvest for Hunger earned recognition from the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

During her time at Baldwin Wallace University, Nina Bauman '22 was active in BW Circle K International (CKI) service projects benefiting a variety of organizations.

But it was her work for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank's Harvest for Hunger campaign that made her a standout volunteer for that organization, chosen for special recognition at a June event wrapping up the successful regional drive.

Bauman and a Beachwood, Ohio, high school student shared the Student Leadership Award, which is given to "a remarkable young individual who is working to help improve their community."

Raising Food and Funds

According to campaign officials, "These students worked hard to collect and raise funds and food for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and truly showed leadership in their communities.

"With the backing of selfless volunteers like Bauman, the most recent Harvest campaign set a new record, collecting over $9.7 million and enough food to provide more than 29 million meals for local hunger relief.

Excelling all around

As an undergrad, Bauman excelled in and out of the classroom, serving as president of BW's American Chemistry Society (ACS), as a teaching assistant in chemistry courses and labs and as a tutor for her peers in math and chemistry.

"I was able to cultivate experience and form relationships that I don't think I would have been able to do at a different school since BW is such a close community. I knew all of my professors like we were friends," she recalls.

When she wasn't experimenting in the lab, Bauman attended and participated in more than 26 service projects for CKI and accumulated more than 43 hours of community service for American Red Cross blood drives, Operation Christmas Child, Trick or Treat for UNICEF, Habitat for Humanity and others-- and that's just in her senior year!

So it's no surprise that she was awarded the "BW Student Volunteer of the Year Award" at BW's annual Student Life and Leadership Awards in April.

At the 2022 CKI Ohio District Conference this past February, Bauman was named Outstanding President for Circle K in the state of Ohio, while BW also claimed the award as Ohio's Most Outstanding Circle K Club for the second year in a row. Bauman was also featured in a CKI "Member Spotlight."

One of Bauman's award nominations noted, "Nina truly embodies the spirit of BW with every action she takes. BW's mission statement centers on the idea of creating lifelong learners to ensure a community filled with contributing and compassionate citizens … [Nina] has assumed her role as a servant leader with an incredibly positive attitude and with zeal for making a difference."

Building a career

With all she has accomplished while at BW, Bauman is destined to make a positive impact on the world as she moves on from graduation in her new role as a research chemist at State Industrial Products in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

"After I graduated, I was able to find a job as a research chemist and once I began I quickly realized just how prepared I actually was for this opportunity," she says. "I feel as if I wasn't let down in my education. Not only that, but my boss is a BW alumna, so having that in common with her was amazing."