Melvin Burch, a junior majoring in elementary education, was one of eight Department of Defense (DOD) employees honored with the Roy Wilkins Renowned Service Award from the NAACP on July 9, 2002.  Burch received the award at the Armed Forces and Veterans Awards dinner held during the NAACP national conference in Houston, Texas. The award recognizes the contributions of military personnel or civilian employees who have distinguished themselves in the areas of race relations, civil rights, equal opportunity and public service. Recipients are chosen from the approximately 650,000 military and civilian employees of the DOD.

Burch, a Peoria native, joined the Marine Corp in 1994, after graduating from high school and is currently a Staff Sergeant on active duty. He is attending the University of Illinois as part of an officer training program, and will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation.

In nominating Burch for the award, his commanding officer says, "His uncommon initiative and civic spirit have helped make a difference in the community where he lives, making it a better place for all."

Violet Harris, head of the curriculum and instruction department agrees, "He is very focused, and really a role model for the children he works with, and for his fellow students."

While his elementary education degree may not be put directly to work in the Marine Corps, Burch is certain it will help him in his leadership roles. Teaching and training, he says, are a constant part of life in the Marines and come with some familiar challenges.

"It's sort of funny to me, because sometimes when you're training, you have to break things down to an elementary style to ensure that everyone understands."

Burch, the single parent of a nine-year-old, says he chose education for his degree as part of some long-range life-planning. "I want to teach after my military career is over. Raising my son has helped me to come to the realization about what I want to do later in my life."

The award is named after Roy W. Wilkins, former Executive Director of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Wilkins established the Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Department in the NAACP in 1969.

Burch is a member of the Minority Association for Future Educators and a 2001-2002 recipient of the Myron and Jewel Ash Scholarship from the College of Education.