As part of the 2024 Student Life Awards, we're proud to feature student leaders from across campus that were nominated and won the various leadership awards for their contributions to and leadership of the University community. These students/student groups were nominated by their peers, faculty and staff and were selected from outstanding candidate pools.

We congratulate them and all of our award nominees and thank them for their accomplishments during the past year!

A special thanks to our award sponsors and to Tiffany Hoxie and Gabriela Nique for their hard work in organizing and coordinating the 2024 Student Life Awards Program.

Additional thanks to the members of our Student Life Awards Selection Committees for their support of student leadership on campus:

Jannatul Anika  |  Leadership & Organizational Development

Jen Morenus  |  Puerto Rican Latin American Cultural Center

Terrance Abney  |  Residence Life

Jose Maldanado  |  Trustee Student Organization Support

Tiffany Hoxie  |  Leadership & Organizational Development

Jose Garcia  |  Center for Fraternity and Sorority Development

Sara Raffia  |  Financial Aid Services

Joanna Rivera Davis  |  First Year Programs

Gabriela Nique  |  Leadership & Organizational Development

Krista O'Brien  |  Trustee Student Organization Support

Sydney Jefferson  |  Center for Fraternity and Sorority Development

Drew Granucci  |  Undergraduate Admissions

Kelly Bernatzky  |  Leadership & Organizational Development

Miguel Colon  |  Community Outreach

Mitchell Davis  |  Residence Life

Sarah Durning  |  Major Events and Programs

Sarah Bernhardt  |  Leadership & Organizational Development

Kaitlyn Macdonald  |  Residence Life

Kimberly Curry  |  The Graduate School

Jonathan Heiden  |  Undergraduate Student Government

Eliana Burke  |  Leadership & Organizational Development

Lyndsey Masterson  |  Student Health & Wellness

Meg Marshall  |  Community Outreach

James Walker  |  Residence Life

Zack Schultz  |  Leadership & Organizational Development

The Andrea Dennis LaVigne Scholarship Fund

​

Tae'Niajha Pullen is a junior in Africana Studies. In her unwavering dedication to advancing equity for all, she has committed to her advocacy work on campus. Through Black Sisters Optimizing Unity & Leadership, she has been able not only to create but also ensure that Black women on campus have a safe and welcoming environment. Additionally, through her position as Chief Diversity Officer at USG, she put a great deal of effort on tackling an extensive array of issues, ranging from sexual assault awareness to equitable and safe housing opportunities, to ensuring the university being as equitable as possible. She has been able to work alongside brilliant, passionate individuals including her coworkers, senators, and the Diversity and Outreach Commission.  

In her time in UConn, Tae’Niajha has been wearing multiple hats, including the important roles of the Co-founder of Black Sisters Optimizing Unity & Leadership (BSoul), the President of the Black UConn Collective, Director of the Black Female Development Circle, Inc., Chief Diversity Officer of the Undergraduate Student Government and FYE Mentor for BSoul LC. She aspires to work as a Civil Rights Attorney after graduation. And she wanted us to share that she loves the smell of freshly cut grass! 

___ “Winning this award means a lot! Doing this work sometimes means you don't get recognized for your contributions. Especially as a Black woman in society, our work and contributions tend to get overlooked. Although that wasn't even a thought in my brain when I began my advocacy, getting recognized for my work and compensated truly means the world. It makes me feel seen and appreciated. Although rewarding, this work is very draining, so I’m glad that through my passion and work, I can alleviate the burden of higher education.”  

The Andrea Dennis LaVigne Scholarship Fund

​

Maryam Mageed is a Senior in the program of Psychological Sciences. Throughout her undergraduate career, she has held pivotal roles that enhanced and encouraged diversity within UConn.  As the advocacy chair in the Residential Housing Hall Council, she worked collaboratively to organize various events and actively contributed to planning and implementing measures that focus on accessibility and inclusion in the UConn residence hall. Her dedication was recognized through the honor of being awarded the Best Advocacy Chair of the year 2022-2023.
 
Additionally, as a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Career Ambassador with a specific focus on supporting religiously affiliated students, she took proactive steps to spearhead a project aimed at surveying and gathering data on active faith clubs. This initiative ensures that future curated events are precisely tailored to meet the unique needs of the religiously diverse student body in UConn. After completing higher education, she intends to pursue a career within diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). She has a list of unique license plates she has spotted! Her top favorites so far are HUG, UN1CORNS, LUVDGZ, and ONE BEAN. 

___ “Being awarded this scholarship is an immense honor and I am deeply grateful. It symbolizes not only my personal efforts but also the positive contributions I've made to the UConn community. It brings me great joy to know that my actions have left a meaningful impact worthy of recognition. Additionally, this scholarship will grant me the privilege to pursue higher education.” 

Student Employee Supervisor of the Year Award

​​

Donna Vail is Manager of Student Organization Accounts and Programs. She works at Student Activities Banking Services (SABS), which is part of the Financial and Program Support Office. She grew up in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and looking forward to a big career move in the near future -- Retirement! 

___ “Thank you very much for this wonderful honor.” 

Donald L. McCullough Leadership Award​

​​

Hari Patchigolla just graduated with an undergraduate degree in computer sciences. During his time at UConn, He spent a considerable amount of time reforming the Data Science community. This mainly started with his involvement with the Data Science Club, which he was the President of during the last year. The club began with little involvement but now has many consistent members. Through this club, he has led several initiatives, including organizing UConn's annual Sports Analytics Symposium, hosting recruitment sessions for club members, giving technical workshops, and much more. This scholarship awards a high level of student leadership and involvement, which he has demonstrated through his engagement within the Data Science Community at UConn.  

One of his biggest accomplishments during his time in UConn was creating and running UConn's first-ever student-led and run course. Since the Fall 2022 semester, he created a 1-credit class named "STAT 4185: Advanced Data Analytics with Python". He designed this course after noticing a lack of practical coding classes at UConn for Data Science, in favor of courses that were heavy on theory. Many of the club members expressed this concern, which is why he decided to start this course. To this date, over 58 students have taken the class, with last semester being the fourth time he had led the course (now offered as STAT 4188). 

He plans to continue his passion for Data Science after graduation through a graduate master's program and a full-time role as a Data Scientist. In general, he aspires to be a leader in the Data Science realm. He is good at magic tricks! 

___ “This scholarship means a lot to me, as it represents recognition of the work I have put into the Data Science Community at UConn. I am honored to have been selected as a McCullough Scholar. This acknowledgment not only validates the countless hours I've dedicated to fostering a vibrant data science ecosystem but also motivates me to continue my efforts in enhancing my academic and practical experiences. Being awarded this scholarship is a milestone that reflects my commitment to Data Science and my desire to contribute meaningfully to the community.” 

 

Early Excellence in Innovation Award

​

Youssef Macary is a Sophomore in the Management program. Youssef started the Tolland County Robotics Foundation, bringing the first robotics program to the area with a limited number of similar programs. Some accomplishments he achieved at UConn during his time as a student are receiving two Change Grants, being honored as Secretary of the Year for the UConn Hall Councils and being a Holster Scholar Finalist. Youssef aspires to work in a management role in a non-profit sector after graduation. He has traveled to Lebanon twice!  

___ “To me, this scholarship is a recognition of the work that I have done over the past year to start and develop the Tolland County Robotics Foundation.  Receiving this honor not only recognizes the work I have done but motivates me to continue giving back.” 

Edward Victor Gant Scholarship – Graduate Student​

 

Adanma Akoma is a super-senior in Materials Science and Engineering program. She was recognized for this award through excelling academically and using her leadership skills to advocate for resources that serve and build up vulnerable members of the UConn community. She has previously been recipient to multiple awards and scholarships including Best Oral Paper Award in 32nd Connecticut Symposium on Microelectronics & Optoelectronics (CMOC), John Lof Leadership Academy, General Electric Fellowship for Excellence, 1st place in Fluxtrol Research Competition, IMAT (ASM International), ASM IMAT Participant Grant, The National GEM Graduate Fellowship, 1st place in Multi-Cultural Business Society (Open Mic), Conference Participation Award in UConn, Conference Participation Award and GEM NSF Student Travel Grant. Ultimately, she plans to implement the technical skills She has learned as a graduate student to create solutions for global issues that disproportionately impact disadvantaged groups (medical, energy, self-care, etc.). She is quite the chef and creative! A Dream of mine would be to open a restaurant where local artists would come and share their talent! 

___ “Being acknowledged for this award, means that what I do as a student at UConn matters, it gives visibility to the initiatives that have had a significant impact on my local community groups on campus, and it provides more resources for me to pour back into the projects that me and my team have worked hard to create and sustain.”

Edward Victor Gant Scholarship – Undergraduate Student​

 

Allison Shane is a senior in the Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences program. Entering UConn with enough credits to be a sophomore, she is graduating in only three years as an Honors and a Babbidge Scholar. Yet in three years, she has been extremely busy being completely engaged with Husky Pride. She is community-oriented and her involvement as a volunteer, educator, and fundraiser with a national service fraternity on campus has been a committed focus. She has led community service activity logistics for over a hundred Alpha Phi Omega members as Service Vice-President. As a New Member Educator, she led formal recruitment and education of APO members and taught the importance of campus and community service. She has actively recruited chapter members through social media and campus initiatives. She has also volunteered hundreds of hours for more than a dozen community organizations, such as the Mansfield Senior Center, the Mansfield Community Center, the Alzheimer's Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund, the Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut, Habitat for Humanity, and many more. She has been a fundraiser (and dancer!) for HuskyTHON.  

Finally, she has had the chance of serving as an in-person Instructional Assistant for a deaf ASL professor for two semesters. She feels lucky to have established a foothold in supporting people with aphasia, researching in UConn’s Aphasia Rehabilitation Research Lab. Also, for several years, Sha has assisted aphasia participants at a UConn sponsored book club and language support group. She has also completed an honors thesis titled: Analyzing the Home Environments of People with Aphasia: Does Treatment Generalize into Life at Home? To fund her research, she was awarded a UConn SURF grant. Her thesis is slated for publication as part of a larger manuscript of aphasia research findings with my mentor Dr. Jennifer Mozeiko. She has presented Her findings at a Connecticut Speech-Language Association Conference, at UConn’s LangFest, and at UConn Frontiers. This summer, she will be presenting her completed findings at the 2024 National Clinical Aphasiology Conference in Hawaii.  

___ “Receiving the Gant Scholarship is a capstone of my undergraduate experience at UConn.  Knowing that my experiences have been recognized as meaningful to faculty and friends at UConn and to UConn's surrounding community is an honor. I will be starting the Masters in Speech Pathology program at UConn in the fall and will graduate with a Masters in May of 2026. I hope to become a medical speech pathologist to serve those who suffer from aphasia, because of a stroke or traumatic brain injury. I am a handler for UConn's two husky mascots, Jonathan XIV and XV!” 

Emerging Leader Award​

 

Madeleine is a third year Nursing student. She has been selected to represent the University of Connecticut in the House of Delegates at the National Student Nurse Association Conference in April 2024. She is also the co-author for the resolution "Support of implementing the use of artificial intelligence to decrease nursing inequities and increase healthcare efficiency" was presented at the National Conference. She looks forward to continuing to participate in research and contributing to increasing knowledge within the healthcare field. She was a 2023 Summer SHARE research apprentice where she examined nurses’ social media posts to examine reactions to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and abortion bans to identify priority nursing interventions to minimize the expansion of the Social Determinants of Health. Additionally, I am a student worker at SHAW and served on the DEI task force where she helped put together clinical thinking sessions for student workers across campus. These sessions discuss how congruent, respectful, and beneficial care can be provided across the student population.  

Madeleine’s interest in policy led her to be invited to travel to Washington DC in March 2023 to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Student Policy Summit, with the School of Nursing where she got the chance to work with people from nursing schools across Connecticut in meeting with legislative staff of Connecticut politicians to advocate for bills regarding the future of nursing education. In her second semester in UConn, she joined the student worker staff at Student Health and Wellness where she was able to engage with nurses and providers and learn about what goes on behind the scenes for providing health services on a college campus. She has the experience to work with vaccine clinics, outreach events and provide support services to the SHAW staff. She hopes to work as an RN in Connecticut after graduation and gain clinical experience before coming back to UConn's School of Nursing for a graduate program; either for research or advanced clinical practice. She is interested in working with the adolescent population and in health policy, reproductive health, food as medicine, community health, and healthcare access. 

___“I am honored to have been chosen for this scholarship. Everything I have done since beginning my time here at UConn has been connected to my efforts in expanding my horizons and gaining experiences that I can use toward larger projects and opportunities. I am excited to continue to grow and work towards using my skillset within the healthcare field as a nurse and a researcher. Being recognized through this scholarship gives me greater support and enlightens further ambition in my goals and what I hope to accomplish in the future.” 

Organization Community Service Award​

 

Music Mentors is a nearly three-year old community service RSO that works with local elementary schools and afterschool programs to bring music workshops and lessons to kids. They currently collaborate with Natchaug elementary and Big Brother Big Sister, as well as Huskython; They are also always looking for new partnerships to expand our impact. The distinction of Music Mentors other music clubs existing on campus is that they are the first RSO that has offered direct service to programs external to UConn.
The club members work directly with young students to inspire potential passion in music. They demonstrate the basics of various instruments and how to play them, then run a “petting zoo” in which kids can try out each one of the instruments. They recently have expanded their programming to include Fiona Boyd (the Founder and leader of the community)’s original idea of Battle of the Bands songwriting workshop, in which kids are divided into band groups and work with mentors to write a short song and perform it. Fiona is especially excited about this recent workshop, since songwriting has helped her sort through various life events from a young age; She is very eager to give kids the tools they need to do the same.  

Seeing the immediate excitement of elementary-age kids when playing music with and/or for them is extremely rewarding for the members, as is hearing that kids have taken interest in learning new instruments after their workshops. In other words, the impact Music Mentors has is direct and tangible, and they hope to continue improving their offered programming with each semester.  

__ “Receiving the Organization Community Service Award on behalf of Music Mentors is very meaningful to me, as we have come so far as a club. We started as a three-person group struggling to gain members and collaborating partners and are now a proudly established and funded organization that truly impacts local communities. To be recognized for our work is gratifying, especially as most of our Executive Board graduated this May. I would’ve never thought we would have gained new members passionate enough to continue and expand the Music Mentors mission, much less an entire community to carry the club on. With the enthusiasm and dedication of Executive Board and general body members, Music Mentors has become a welcoming space for UConn students to collaborate through their musical interests and inspire young kids to follow suit.” 

International Student Leadership Award​​

 

Antigoni is a PHD student in Material Science. She has been part of the UConn community for seven years and has been consistently involved in graduate student organizations and helping graduate students develop professionally and personally, as others guided her the same way. She has received multiple fellowships and scholarships in her field, including General Electric Fellowship of Excellence. She aspires to continue her career as a scholar in academia. She enjoys meeting fellow graduate students, playing volleyball in the UConn REC center, and not in the lab! She has been able to develop her communication skills through meeting them and how they approached different issues in graduate student life. 

___ “Receiving International Student Leadership Award is an outstanding achievement that boosted my ability to help more students to get socially engaged with the community, extend their networks and get to know different leadership styles better, by understanding diverse cultures.” 

Learning Community Emerging Leadership Award​

 

Genesis Alexis Augustin is a sophomore in Healthcare Management program. She loves cultivating a safe space for her fellow community members by checking in constantly and hosting events that she thinks would bring them together. During her time at UConn, she has been awarded Rookie of the Year (2023) issued by UCONN Black Female Development Circle (BFDC) and Miss Congeniality (2023) issued by Black Women in Higher Education LC (BWV) now known as BSOUL House. Her future aspirations are to go law school and become a successful healthcare attorney. She is a published author! She has two books currently published on Amazon, Palate of Love and the rose river, a chameleon and the moon: the broken constitution.

___ “Receiving this scholarship is an honor. I love my learning community and members, so being recognized and respected by them means the world to me.” 

Learning Community Leadership Award​​

 

Jake Lauro is an eighth semester student in Molecular and Cellular Biology & Nutritional Science. In his time within the learning communities, he was a part of the public health house and a floor mentor, in addition to being a part of the learning community council recruitment committee. Later, he served as the learning community executive council vice president and as the learning community executive council president for two years. He received multiple scholarships, including Honors Scholar for Nutritional Sciences and three-time New England Scholarship recipient. he aspires to pursue a career in academic medicine as a pediatrician. He was a nationally ranked shot-put thrower in high school! 

___ “This scholarship is a culmination of my lived experience and service for the learning community program. This program has defined my time in UConn, shaping me as a person, introducing me to numerous opportunities, and highlighting new passions I never expected for myself. I have given my all to this program, and being recognized as a leader in this program means the world to me. It will truly be an experience I will forever speak highly about and hope to see the foundations and innovations I have been able to set forth, flourish in the future for other students to have an even better experience being in a learning community.” 

Spirer/Dueker Student Humanitarian Achievement Award​​​

 

Sarah Delventhal is a second Semester senior in the program of Psychological Sciences in UConn. She has met the requirements of this scholarship by dedicating her free time to working at a Nonprofit Agency that promotes safety, healing, and growth for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Through her work in this field, she has also volunteered for food and toiletry drives and toy drives for the children of domestic violence survivors. She considers being on the Dean’s List for Fall 2022, one of her biggest accomplishments at UConn. In the future, she hopes to earn her master's degree in developmental psychology and begin working in adolescent counseling. She has served in the Army Reserves for 5 years! 

___” Being awarded this scholarship is very meaningful to me because it acknowledges the value and impact of my work. Being recognized in this way will continue to reinforce my passion for helping marginalized communities.” 

Student Employee of the Year Award​

 

Joseph Adams is a Senior in the History program in UConn. His best efforts are dedicated to creating a positive and productive workplace for all his employees through communication, training, and making himself as approachable and available to them as possible. He makes sure his employees know that he values them and the work they do. He goes the extra mile to forge connections with all the people he works with and try to make everyone as excited and passionate about their jobs as he is.  

He has worked for the Department of Dining services since the second semester of his freshman year. He started as a Student Worker at Putnam Refectory and was quickly promoted to Shift Lead the following Semester. He was initially an Engineering Major and switched to History in his sophomore year’s second semester. He was on Academic probation while in engineering, but after he made the switch to history he recovered and done better each following semester. At the same time as the major switch, He applied for and got the position of Student Manager at North Dining Hall. Covid-19 had left the unit with essentially no Student Program, so he rebuilt the program from the ground up. This involved creating a schedule, hiring a brand-new student staff, building a management team, creating a comprehensive training program, and all the challenges of being a manager. He confidently states that he left North Dining Hall better than when he arrived. He kept that same mentality when applying for the Student Program Coordinator position.  Currently, as Student Program Coordinator, He oversees the entire student program, within his department which employs approximately 850-1000 students every semester across sixteen different locations. He has incorporated policy changes to streamline work processes, increase productivity, reflect the diversity of employees, and promote inclusivity within the workplace. As he approaches graduation, it makes him happy knowing that he left something so special to him better than he found it. 

He aspires to continue to work for the Department of Dining Services after his graduation, and after a while pursue a master's degree in public policy or business administration. He is a member of the UConn Outing Club and loves to Hike and Climb. His favorite hike of all time is Huntington's Ravine, on Mount Washington in NH.  

___ “It was an honor to be nominated, and truly an honor to receive this scholarship. I do the work that I do because I love my job and care deeply about the Department of Dining Services.  Receiving an award for that means a lot, because it shows that the work I have done is being noticed and appreciated by all the amazing people that I work with. The Department of Dining Services has been such a huge part of my college experience, so I am extremely grateful for this award.” 

Willis N. Hawley Service and Leadership Award​​

 

Christian is a junior in Industrial and Organizational Psychology program. He’s an active member of UConn Veteran community, facilitating game nights and assisting in his peer's struggles when and where he can. He also supports the Veteran and Military Program office staff in implementing and assessing organizational interventions. He is considering multiple future professional options, including continuing working in academia or moving to a practitioner position. If He stays in academia, He would like to work for a university as a professor and continue to conduct research regarding motivation. As a practitioner, He would like to work with either executive management or strategic command personnel to improve the working lives of their frontline labor force. He belongs to a veteran gaming group, blending his interest in tabletop role-playing games and peer support groups. 

___ “While the recognition from receiving the Service and Leadership Award is much appreciated; But the most rewarding element offered by this award is the dissemination of information concerning the possible ways an individual can add to the collective community. The scholarship process spotlights the different ways people have made an impact. With any luck, my contribution will assist others in finding a niche that, in turn, will lead to additional positive outcomes for our community.”

Individual Husky Pride Award​​

 

Keerit Grewal is a sophomore student in Allied Health sciences. She has been an active member in the Leadership Learning Community for two years and this year she served as a Floor Mentor for the learning community. She was also an FYE mentor last semester for a first-year UNIV class. This past year, she was a Dancer Representative for HuskyTHON, which means that she led a team of about seventy dancers to raise over thirty-one thousand dollars. She is on a pre-med track hoping to become a pediatrician. She is a first-generation college student!  

___ “It is an honor to be a recipient of this award. I love being a student here at UConn and there is nowhere else I would rather be!” 

Individual Husky Pride Award​​

 

Amanda is a senior in the History program. In her years in UConn, she got the chance to be involved in many different facets of student life which allowed her to experience and show pride and spirit for UConn. Within the Student Alumni Association, she planned Jonathan's Birthday Party- allowing the University to celebrate our amazing mascot. Within SAA she also planned the OOzeball tournament. As the second longest-standing tradition here at UConn, she ensured that the 40th anniversary of the event was full of muddy fun and spirit. Planning the future of her career, she plans to attend NYU and receive her masters in Higher Education and Student Affairs. With this degree, she hopes to continue within the realm of higher ed by working in student affairs, specifically in student engagement. 

___ “As someone who plans on pursuing a career in higher education, I feel honored to receive a reward dealing with pride and spirit within a university. Being able to plan events built around pride and tradition at UConn quickly became an essential part of my own college experience and watching other students experience these events will be one of my favorite UConn memories. This scholarship adds to the pride I feel in the events I planned and adds another layer to my own UConn spirit.” 

Organizational Husky Pride Award​

​​

Lauren Hart served as Secretary and Vice President of the MEM Society and involved dozens of students in an organization that developed their professional skills and connected them with major engineering firms for hiring opportunities. She is a senior in Management for Engineering and Manufacturing program in UConn. She is a dedicated executive of the MEM Society.

___ "I am hoping to utilize this scholarship to effect positive change in the MEM Society. These funds will help expand this organization into a community-wide chapter that will spread knowledge and professional guidance to so many more aspiring young engineers. I am extremely proud to have been able to contribute to something bigger than myself and am comforted by the fact that the MEM Society will be able to grow even after I am no longer part of leadership."

Building Community Award​​

​​

Lucia Scotti is a Sophomore in Civil Engineering. She has worked tirelessly to invite new members to UConn community through her efforts in running the Husky Ambassador Program. Additionally, she has done her best to better the community of UConn’s current students in the Husky Ambassador Program through different activities and community engagement. She has been on the Dean's List all her semesters at UConn, maintaining the Babbidge Scholar Award. She plans to become a civil or structural engineer. She loves to cook and has made everything from homemade focaccia to gnocchi and lava cake from scratch. 

___ “Getting this scholarship means so much to me as it will push me to continue my efforts, in the community is something so important to me and is something that I cherish greatly. To help others find their community has been such a pleasure!” 

Program of the Year Award​​

​​

This award is sponsored by Student Union Board of Governors (SUBOG) and recognizes the execution of an event or program that significantly enhanced the social, recreational, educational, and the cultural life of students as well as the general community at this institution.​

Student Leader of Character Award​​​

​​

Samantha Valle is a senior in Political Science and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. In UConn, she held positions in offices such as the Center for Career Development, the Center for Access and Post-Secondary Success (CAPS), the Dean of Students Office (DOS), and the Office of Community Standards. Currently, in the work she does with CAPS, she provides career resources and advice specifically tailored to First-Generation students. Through this, she hopes to impact each unique student she meets and give back to a community that has given her so much and assisted her in her academic and professional success. In the DOS office, she works as a Pack Leader to provide support to students on campus and seeks to raise awareness of proliferating issues on campus such as sexual misconduct and substance abuse. This semester she has taken on a leadership role within Protect Our Pack and has dedicated time in search of ways to educate students on Title IX processes and procedures in collaboration with OIE. In all the work she does encountering students, she seeks to build rapport and bridge the gap between UConn administration and the student body.   

In 2022, she was named a Gilman Scholar and was given the opportunity to study abroad in Italy; her first experience out of the country. This semester she has been working as a Pack Intern with Protect Our Pack and have worked with Assistant Dean Jenn Longa, Hannah Halloran, and Title IX Coordinator Cameron Liston on various projects, aimed at supporting survivors of gender-based violence and providing more Title IX education to students. She feels extremely accomplished to have the ability to work among UConn professionals, on an issue she is extremely passionate about. Lastly, as a first-generation student, she considers her arrival at UConn a massive accomplishment.  

She hopes to work in higher education, handling Title IX policy work or on a federal level implementing and analyzing grant programs related to gender-based violence intervention, after she graduates from the School of Public Policy at UConn. Her goal is to support survivors from a policy or legal standpoint. She is a plant lover and owns a collection of over fifty tropical plants in her apartment. 

___ “Everything that has grown from my time here has been more than it means the world to me, to be recognized for work that I have been passionate about over the past four years. It is an honor to even be considered for this award, it allows not only myself, but others know that this work is important! I am extremely grateful for being chosen for this award and it will support me as I make my way to graduate school.” 

​

Outstanding Graduate/Teaching Assistant Award​​​

​​

Sage is a Master of Arts student in Human Rights program, wrapping up her final semester of graduate studies. In her time as the National Association for The Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) graduate assistant, as a student leader she has been tasked with overseeing students, staff, event planning and programming, outreach, budget management, and more to ensure the programs' successful operation. She has been the recipient of many awards and scholarships, including but not limited to CNAY 2024 Champions for Change, The Living Legacy Award (2022), Donald L. McCullough Leadership Award (2022), Harry S. Truman Scholarship (ME 2021 Scholar), Udall Undergraduate Scholarship (2021), Cohen Student Leadership Scholarship for Enhancing Community (2021), Udall Undergraduate Scholarship Honorable Mention (2020) and Gladys Tantaquidgeon Award (2020).  

Sage is a proud citizen of the Penobscot Nation. She hopes to work on Indigenous higher education reform while creating equitable solutions to access higher education for Indigenous youth.  

___ “This award is not an individual achievement--it is a testament to the generation of students who will follow in my path and are enjoying a positive experience as Indigenous students at UConn, something that I have worked very hard to create here on campus. This scholarship means that I have played a part in ensuring UConn's Indigenous community succeeds.” 

​

Individual Community Service Award​​​

​​

Fiona Boyd is a senior in Physiology and Neurobiology. She founded a community service club on UConn campus called Music Mentors that works with local elementary schools and afterschool programs to bring music workshops and lessons to kids. To do so, I recruited fellow UConn musicians as executive board members and established relationships with Natchaug elementary school and Big Brother, Big Sister.  

In addition to founding and leading Music Mentors, she is currently writing her senior PNB thesis in the Nutrition Diet and Neurological Disease Lab on the ketogenic diet’s impact on female fruit fly fertility. She has collaborated with students and staff to head the project as a captain. She feels extremely lucky to have participated in an exchange semester at the university College Maastricht, in the Netherlands, where she delved into various interdisciplinary classes and developed a great love for travel. She is now volunteering as a Global Student Mentor, discussing study abroad options and experiences with prospective Experiential Global Learning participants. She has also volunteered as a UConn Health Leader, at the UConn Health Clinic in Farmington, where she screened patients for social barriers to healthcare and provided resources to help them overcome them. She graduated in May, as a University Honors Laureate with minors in English and Molecular and Cell Biology. 

After her post-grad backpacking trip in Peru, she will start to work as a full time Medical Assistant in central Massachusetts for a year. In doing so, she will obtain the patient care hours required to apply to Physician Assistant programs across the country. After PA school, she aspires to work in pediatrics, neurology, and/or emergency medicine. She plans on pursuing her passion for travel and songwriting, alongside developing her career in the medical sector and hopes to work abroad at some point. 

She has two jack Russell Terriers at home - Bibi and Jasper! 

___ “Receiving the Individual Community Service Award is meaningful to me, as I have worked hard to develop Music Mentors into an established organization that truly impacts local communities. To be recognized for my work in doing so is a gratifying full circle moment, especially in the context of our recent songwriting workshops. Initiating engaging events like Battle of the Bands for young kids has been a goal of mine for a long time, and to do so within the growing community of Music Mentors is very rewarding. Although I took the initial steps to start and establish Music Mentors, I couldn’t have done so without the hard work of my fellow Executive Board members, especially Alexander Francoeur and Walter Aragon. Together, we have created a welcoming space for UConn students to bond over musical interests and inspire young kids.” 

​

Individual Community Service Award​​​​

​​

Youssef Macary is a Sophomore in the Management program. Youssef started the Tolland County Robotics Foundation, bringing the first robotics program to the area with a limited number of similar programs. Some accomplishments he achieved at UConn during his time as a student are receiving two Change Grants, being honored as Secretary of the Year for the UConn Hall Councils and being a Holster Scholar Finalist. Youssef aspires to work in a management role in a non-profit sector after graduation. He has traveled to Lebanon twice! 

___ “To me, this scholarship is a recognition of the work that I have done over the past year to start and develop the Tolland County Robotics Foundation.  Receiving this honor not only recognizes the work I have done but motivates me to continue giving back.”