Lilburnite Honored for Volunteer Work

Lilburn resident Imran Aswani recently won a Community Service Award from the University of Phoenix in recognition of his many volunteering efforts.

Aswani is an active volunteer for Aga Khan Development Network, Hosea Feed the Hungry, Reach Out, Big Brothers, and other nonprofits. He took part in the international Coastal Cleanup Day, an initiative by Coca-Cola Company and Ocean Conservancy’s, on the Chattahoochee and in Rover Park, and led at least one of them.

"Imran demonstrates the passion and drive needed to make a difference for the many causes he is engaged with," said Michael Hearon, vice president and director at University of Phoenix Atlanta Campus.

The University of Phoenix each year recognizes alumni who "are making a difference and giving back to their community," the school said in a press release. Aswani graduated from the university with a Master of Business Administration.

"I can relate to poverty," Aswani said of his involvement with Aga Khan Development Network, which helps people in developing countries. "I've seen it with my own eyes." He is originally from Pakistan.

Volunteering, he said, "has been driven into me. My parents are big on giving back, especially to our community."

And volunteering, Aswani said, "is a way to pay for the space we occupy."