When it was time for former Plant City High School college and career counselor Sherrie Mueller to nominate someone for the prestigious Florida Commission on the Status of Women’s Florida Achievement Award, service-minded Maddy Keene stood out as the perfect candidate.
The award, presented to 12 winners by the FCSW, commends women who have gone above and beyond to serve their community. For Keene, the desire to serve comes naturally.
“She’s multi-faceted,” Mueller said. “She has a very caring heart for others. That’s just Maddy.”
Now a sophomore at the University of Florida studying chemical engineering, Keene began to develop her passion for helping others when she joined the Civinettes Service Club as a Plant City High School freshman. She served as club president for her last two years of high school.
“Typically, juniors don’t get president,” Mueller said. “But she was so outstanding at community service.”
“They’ve always had a really big presence,” Keene said of the club.
Her mother was also a member of the club when she was a student at PCHS.
“It was honestly the best decision I could have made in high school,” Keene said.
While serving as club president, Keene started an initiative to feed the homeless once a month. The club continued with the program after she graduated.
“I’ve always been very into helping the homeless,” Keene said.
Her desire to help those less fortunate is partially driven by the memories she has of seeing them under highway overpasses as she drove by. After the Civinettes began volunteering to feed the homeless, she saw how the service made an impact.
“I got to see the fruits of my labor,” she said. “Just getting to see how thankful they were … they said thank you for everything.”
As club president, Keene grew the Civinettes to over 100 members and served as the leader and head fundraiser for the club’s Relay for Life team, which raised over $1,500.
In 2013, Keene also partnered with her father, LaRoyce Keene, for Dancing with the Locals to raise money for automated external defibrillators for the Plant City Police Department.
“She took the bull by the horns,” Mueller said. “She was a leader.”
Keene’s dedication to the community wasn’t limited to one organization. While at PCHS, she served various roles in National Honor Society, Science Club and the American Sign Language Honor Society. Keene was also a member of the 2013 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Court and was ranked 10th in her graduating class.
She continues her service as a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority at the University of Florida. The sorority is partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and has hosted softball tournaments and spaghetti dinners as fundraising events. Last year, the sorority raised $80,000, making it the top fundraiser of any organization at the University of Florida.
Keene, who joined the homeless outreach program A Reason to Give at the beginning of the school year, hopes to return to Plant City after she graduates from the University of Florida.
“I love the town,” she said. “I love the atmosphere.”
When she does, she plans to continue her volunteer efforts and encourages others to do the same.
“It’s honestly giving me such a great sense of fulfillment,” she said. “It’s very humbling.”
As an award recipient, Keene was invited to attend a special awards luncheon for all winners Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Alfond Inn in Winter Park. There, she received her award, and a letter of distinction from Gov. Rick Scott.
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.
