CHARIS WHITNAH OF COLORADO COLLEGE, a sophomore on the women's cross country team who hails from Washington, D.C., has been selected the SCAC Character & Community Female Student-Athlete-of-the-Week for the week ending October 24, 2010.

This year, Whitnah has taken on the position as an RA in Slocum Hall. She has 12 residents - 10 freshman and 2 sophomores - who come from a variety of backgrounds. From the Division I hockey players to the talented acapella singer, her job is to help facilitate and form lasting relationships with the residents and support their own intellectual and personal growth. This job has enabled the sophomore to connect with the CC community in an incredibly positive way, and through serving as an RA, she is supporting and building up the community on campus, and, in the process, growing as a leader.

Whitnah is also a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority. The group's philanthropy, Service for Sight, works with the visually impaired community in Colorado Springs, a cause Whitnah feels incredibly passionate about. Being a part of Delta Gamma has also allowed Whitnah to commit to building relationships with her sisters and also with members of the Colorado Springs community outside of Colorado College.

Whitnay also works with Thrive College Ministry - a Christian organization on campus. Working as a leader with this group, Whitnay has been involved with leading a discussion course at Colorado College - Alpha - that calls one to question and examine the Christian faith in a rather provocative way. Non-Christian students come to Alpha and it helps to facilitate honest intellectual debate surrounding some very difficult topics. During her time at Colorado College with Thrive, Whitnay has not only been able to help build up the Christian community on campus, but has also helped encourage some interesting respectful dialogue between different spiritual groups.

She also works with the Center for Service and Learning. Since one of Whitnay's desires in life was to work with the disabled community, when the Center for Service and Learning announced it would be doing a Block Break service trip to Easter Seals - an organization that works with the disabled community - she jumped at the opportunity. During her first block break at Colorado College, she got to know other CC students from different grades as the group came together to serve the disabled community in Colorado. As part of this service, Whitnay has also volunteered at the Colorado College Soup Kitchen. Through this experience, she has been able to connect with other student volunteers as well as the homeless community in Colorado Springs.

And lastly, Whitnay has served as an ASL Tutor. "I absolutely love signing and the deaf community, so when a faculty member at CC asked if I would teacher her sign language I was eager to say yes," said Whitnay. 

This year, Whitnay has begun teaching a CC faculty member, Amy Brooks, sign language. Through teaching her this beautiful language, she has been able to connect more intimately with a CC faculty member and has helped to expose her to a community that has had a tremendous impact in her life - the deaf community.