Student Leadership Awards Class of 2021 a Message from the Penn Alumni President
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STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARDS CLASS OF 2021 A MESSAGE FROM THE PENN ALUMNI PRESIDENT ANN NOLAN REESE Penn Alumni President Congratulations, seniors! It is with tremendous Red and Blue pride that I write to you from my home in Rye, New York, to applaud your success in earning a degree from the University of Pennsylvania. It has been 47 years since my own graduation, and much more recently that I watched two of my children complete their time at Penn. You have already accomplished so much— and many of you are honored here as Student Leadership Award recipients—Hurrah! Hurrah! As individuals, you have brought something uniquely “you” to Penn. But as a group, you share qualities like compassion, conviction, and confidence. I’m excited for you all over again, thinking about the endless possibilities that lay ahead. Penn launched me on an exciting journey from Economics major to Fortune 500 companies and eventually to adoption advocacy. I have no doubt that your own journey will be equally rewarding! I am not alone in experiencing a range of emotions for all of you, including heartbreak over the many sacrifices you have made to stay safe where you live and on campus. I’d like to pause for a moment to recognize that. The good news is—you will be back. Before COVID-19, I returned to Locust Walk more than I could have ever imagined when I graduated. In time, we will all be reunited. So, here is the silver lining with a little bit of perspective—gratitude. I am grateful in this moment to be a part of a community that is as vibrant and hopeful as each of you. I am grateful for the technology that allows us to stay connected. Finally, I am grateful for all that you have already contributed to Penn, by bringing us the best version of yourself. Let us celebrate your achievements, small and large. Good luck on the next chapter. Best wishes, Ann Reese, CW’74 STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARDS CLASS OF 2021 Penn Alumni would like to congratulate all award recipients from the Class of 2021. The Student Leadership Award Book highlights a selection of the Class of 2021’s award recipients. The awardee profiles feature a selection of quotes, personal narratives, or a spotlight on the awardee’s Penn accomplishments. TABLE OF CONTENTS MERCEDES OWENS .............................................1 KAREN HERRERA ..............................................17 Althea K. Hottel Shield Award James Howard Weiss Memorial Award JAMIE JIHEE CHUNG ..........................................2 CAMILO DURAN .................................................18 Asian Alumni Network Student Leadership Award Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alumni Association Student Leadership Award EMILY ROSE GRAVES ..........................................3 Association of Alumnae Continuing Education Award SANAEA BHAGWAGAR ......................................19 Penn Alumni Student Award of Merit UCHECHI GRACE NWOGWUGWU ..................... 4 Association of Alumnae Fathers’ Trophy Award SOFIA GONZALEZ ..............................................20 Penn Alumni Student Award of Merit SYDNEY BELL .......................................................5 Association of Alumnae Robert J. Alig Award DANIEL GORDON ..............................................21 Penn Alumni Student Award of Merit PAIGE ORNER .......................................................6 Association of Alumnae Robert J. Alig Award ANDREW LAM ....................................................22 Penn Alumni Student Award of Merit FRANCES MARIE PAULINO ................................7 Association of Latino Alumni Student Leadership Award JENNIFER RICHARDS .......................................23 Penn Alumni Student Award of Merit CONNOR HUGHES BEARD .................................8 Association of Native Alumni Student Leadership Award EMILY SOLOMON ..............................................24 Penn Alumni Student Award of Merit JORDAN KING ......................................................9 Black Alumni Society Student Leadership Award ANA ACEVEDO ...................................................25 Penn First Plus Alumni Student Leadership Award JUDE DARTEY ....................................................10 Bowl Award MICHIYAH COLLINS ..........................................26 R. Jean Brownlee Skimmer Hat Award MOKSH JAWA .....................................................11 Cane Award DALLAS TAYLOR ................................................27 Sol Feinstone Undergraduate Award ANDREW DOUGLAS ..........................................12 Class of 1915 Award CAMILO DURAN .................................................28 Spade Award CARSON ECKHARD ...........................................13 David R. Goddard Loving Cup Award ANTHONY SCARPONE-LAMBERT ....................29 Spoon Award ELIZABETH YOUSHAEI ....................................14 Gaylord P. Harnwell Flag Award JASON WEIJUN XIAN ........................................30 The Trustees’ Council of Penn Women LORAN GRISHOW-SCHADE ..............................15 Michele Huber and Bryan D. Giles Award James Brister Society Graduate Student Leadership Award SAKSHI SEHGAL ................................................31 GRACE LEE .........................................................16 The Trustees’ Council of Penn Women James Brister Society Student Leadership Award Student Leadership Award ALTHEA K. HOTTEL SHIELD AWARD MERCEDES OWENS Althea K. Hottel Shield Award This award is named for Penn’s first Dean of Women, educational pioneer Althea K. Hottel. Represented by the Shield, this award honors intellectual competence, commitment to ideals, and loyalty to the University. This year’s recipient almost needs no introduction. Mercedes Owens’ activities and honors have touched every aspect of the student experience. As President of the Undergraduate Assembly, Mercedes focused on uplifting often unheard student voices and partnered with University administration to implement student-petitioned initiatives such a grocery delivery service for those with food insecurities and the implementation of a social life inclusion fund to support programming for historically marginalized groups. University staff will note they cannot recall another UA President who has moved the needle on more projects than Mercedes. 1 ASIAN ALUMNI NETWORK STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARD J A M I E J I H E E CHUNG Asian Alumni Network Student Leadership Award Jamie has been involved with the Asian Pacific American Nursing Student Association (APANSA) during all of her undergraduate years at Penn, gaining leadership skills and contributing to a healthy, collaborative environment for nursing and non-nursing students alike. As Freshman Liaison starting in 2018, she consistently asked for feedback from peers in her class and relayed this information to the APANSA board, giving a voice to first-generation and low- income (FGLI) students who were new to Penn. She continued her involvement into her sophomore year as the APANSA Programming Chair, extending the group’s connections into the greater Penn community by hosting events alongside the Asian Pacific Student Coalition (APSC). Dalmacio Dennis Flores, PhD ACRN Assistant Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing Peter Van Do, Director, PAACH 2 ASSOCIATION OF ALUMNAE CONTINUING EDUCATION AWARD E M I LY R O S E GR AVES Association of Alumnae Continuing Education Award Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, Emily Rose has lived in the Philadelphia region for nine years. She transferred to Penn in January 2019 after studying at various community colleges in California and Pennsylvania. While at Penn she had the opportunity to work part-time in the Wharton Undergraduate Advising office, and to participate in Washington Model OAS. Balancing school with work and parenting responsibilities was a formidable but rewarding challenge. Emily Rose is a single mother to a beautiful 8-year- old daughter, operates a small photography business, and is also a professional musician. After two demanding yet inspiring years, she is graduating with a degree in Political Science with a concentration in Political Economy. As her time at Penn is coming to an end, she is looking forward to applying everything she has learned to cultivate a fulfilling career. 3 ASSOCIATION OF ALUMNAE FATHERS’ TROPHY AWARD UCHECHI GRACE NWOGWUGWU Association of Alumnae Fathers’ Trophy Award Uche Nwogwugwu graduates with a major in Health and Societies and a minor in Chemistry. As a student-athlete at Penn, she has grown in so many ways by being surrounded by so many incredible, admirable people. A highlight of her Penn experience on the track has to be in the winter of 2018 when the Women’s Team won the Ivy League Championships for the first time in over two decades. “The culmination of the hard work put in by my coaches, my friends, and my teammates to result in that moment at the end of the meet was really something else and I’m incredibly thankful to them all for the support and patience they’ve shown me over the past few years.” Uche is honored to have even been considered for this award and is grateful to the Association of Alumnae for it. 4 ASSOCIATION OF ALUMNAE ROBERT J. ALIG AWARD SYDNEY BELL Association of Alumnae Robert J. Alig Award Sydney Bell is from Wisconsin and is a graduate of Wharton. She studied Management with a specialization in Organizational Effectiveness and a minor in Urban Education. Sydney was involved with Penn Traditions through being a Class Ambassador volunteering at Alumni Weekend since 2018. She became Penn Traditions