This is the fourth in a 10-part series highlighting the top moments of the most successful year in ART U history.


Anaheim, CA -- After being named co-recipients of the 2011-12 Pacific West Conference Community Engagement Award, the Academy of Art University Urban Knights established a goal for this academic year of maintaining relationships with past organizations and events they volunteered at last year. The Knights participated in various types of community service, from health awareness to youth mentorship, and for the second year in a row were named co-recipients of the 2012-13 PacWest Community Engagement Award.

The annual award recognizes outstanding community service and projects performed by a PacWest member's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). A panel reviews the nominations and chooses a winner. While ART U shared the award with Dixie State University last year, their partner this year was Hawaii Pacific University. The universities will each receive a plaque commemorating their selection.

“Being recognized as a co-recipient for the second straight year proves that our athletic department students and staff are dedicated to the San Francisco Bay Area community,” said Director of Athletics Colin Preston. “I want to thank the entire staff and the student-athletes for their hard work that they put in during the 2012-13 academic year, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the organizations and new opportunities to give back this coming year.”

Academy of Art participated in more than 25 events this year, totaling 1,155 hours of community service as a department. The women's soccer team contributed the most hours, with a total of 273 this year, while the men's soccer team came in second place with 189 hours. The athletics department continually stresses the importance of servant leadership to its artist-athletes and coaching staff, and this year showed a great effort serving the community of San Francisco and throughout the ART U campus.

As far as Make-A-Wish Fundraising, ART U SAAC made a triumphant effort in offering enticing and entertaining fundraising events on campus. While they have raised almost double the amount of money from last year, they have also offered fun events on campus to help promote unity and Urban Knights pride throughout the Academy of Art University. Each of the SAAC sponsored events this year were done for the first time and all ended in successful events that they plan on making into traditions on campus at ART U.

Check out the list of events HERE.