Maggie Skoch received the 2016 Jerry Greenspan Student Voice of Mental Health Award from The Jed Foundation.
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30th annual Student Leadership Awards Banquet
The University of Notre Dame’s recognized seven students at the 30th annual Student Leadership Awards Banquet on Thursday (April 7). These honor current students who have made exceptional contributions to the Notre Dame community.
, honoring a graduating senior who has made substantial personal efforts to advance the interests of students at Notre Dame, was given to , from Mentor, Ohio.
Motivated by her own experiences, Skoch has been a prominent advocate for mental health awareness and education in the University community. She served as president of , where she was an integral planner of Notre Dame’s Mental Illness Awareness Week, which won an award for Outstanding Club Event/Program of the Year in the 2014-15 academic year. Skoch also created opportunities for her peers to have monthly conversations about mental health through the “Espresso Your Mind” program, and has served as a member of the University’s Healthy Campus Coalition.
The theology and Arts and Letters pre-health major and Breen-Phillips Hall resident has also been involved as a music mentor and director for Notre Dame’s program, demonstrating her deep spirituality, sharing her tremendous gift for music and inspiring people to explore their faith.
The , given to a graduating senior who exemplifies the ideals of the University through outstanding community service beyond the University community, was awarded to Colleen McLinden from Lakewood, Ohio.
Through work in service and legislative advocacy, McLinden, a theology major and Cavanaugh Hall resident, has embodied the principles of Catholic Social Teaching during her time at Notre Dame. As a sophomore, she led a group of students working to change policy at the state level for formerly incarcerated people to gain access to food assistance. A regular in the South Bend Catholic Worker community, she has engaged low-income residents regarding the accessibility of fresh produce at the Monroe Park Co-Op. Her volunteer service in Chile, as well as her work for Catholic Relief Services, have allowed her to serve at a global level by raising awareness on global pandemics, fundraising for additional resources and engaging her peers in prayer for global solidarity.
annually honors a graduating senior whose contributions have significantly advanced the climate of welcome and inclusion within or beyond the University community. This year’s recipient is Preston Igwe from Houston.
Igwe, a sociology and Arts and Letters pre-professional major, has been deeply involved with various Notre Dame student organizations, employing an inclusive and collaborative approach to his leadership. He has served as president of , a club that works to promote brotherhood and leadership among black men on campus. He has also served as a member of Diversity Council and the .
An integral planning partner of the Black Man’s Think Tank program, Igwe has encouraged dialogue and conversation among his peers on campus. Through his work with , he has been an ambassador for that office, as well as for the University, often hosting visiting students and sharing his experience at Notre Dame. His work in the local community has brought his Notre Dame peers and South Bend high school students closer together by inspiring the students and opening the minds and hearts of his classmates.
The was awarded to William Harris from Dallas. This award is given to a graduating senior who embodies Blessed Father Moreau’s vision of educating heart and mind as well as someone who has demonstrated significant effort to advancing the Catholic character of the University.
The Siegfried Hall resident and mechanical engineering major is known as a faith-filled, compassionate leader. His myriad contributions to spiritual life on campus can be seen in his work for ND Vision, as a ministry coordinator in both the Basilica and Siegfried Hall, and as a retreat coordinator for . He spearheaded the planning of this year’s March for Life event, which, originally to be attended in Washington, D.C., was thanks in large part to Harris’ leadership able to be held successfully on campus for more than 800 faculty, staff and students.
Alison O’Connor, from Wyckoff, New Jersey, was awarded the , presented to a graduating senior who exemplifies the qualities for which former Notre Dame Trustee Ray Siegfried was known, including leadership, generosity, devotion to the Catholic faith and affinity for athletics.
An electrical engineering major and McGlinn Hall resident assistant, O’Connor’s impact on her hall community has been substantial. As president of McGlinn Hall, she has worked to bring the women in her community together through programming and athletics by participating on and leading multiple interhall and all-campus athletic teams, motivating her hall to win the women’s interhall sports award, the Kelly Cup. She has created events such as the Shamrock Hour, an event series that allows the women of the hall to discuss sensitive topics in an inclusive environment. Her impact outside of McGlinn Hall can be seen in her work for the Leprechaun Legion, a student club supporting , and in her various service projects in the local community and abroad.
from Weston, Florida, was awarded the , honoring an outstanding undergraduate student who exemplifies the qualities for which Mike Russo was known, including service, personal character and striving to bring the best out of themselves and others.
Fraser, a biological sciences and Italian major, has been committed to fostering inclusion and spirit in residential life at Notre Dame since her first year on campus. She is the current co-chair of and former president of Ryan Hall. As president of Ryan, she brought new traditions to the hall, such as Kind Kats and ROAR Week, aimed at empowering Ryan Hall residents, building community and engaging students who did not feel like they are part of the hall community. As co-chair of Hall Presidents Council, she initiated “Reel in a Resident,” a program in which hall leaders are called each week to reach out to residents struggling in their communities and find ways to engage them.
The was presented to Maggie Bowers, from Wilmington, Delaware. This award is given to a graduating senior who exemplify the qualities of Moore, a former Notre Dame associate vice president, who was known for his integrity, character, commitment to Notre Dame and writing ability.
Bowers, a political science and film, television and theatre major, is the editor-in-chief of 2015-16 yearbook, and has strived to make the 352-page book both relevant and compelling for her peers. She has been an effective supervisor of a large staff, mobilizing them over a seven-month period to cover talked-about campus topics such as the decision to resume purchasing University licensed apparel from a limited number of factories in China, the GreenDot bystander intervention program and the impact of the new residence halls on the campus community.
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The University of Notre Dame’s recognized seven students at the annual Student Leadership Awards Banquet on Tuesday (March 31), and will honor one award winner at the Graduate 91Ƶ Awards Ceremony on May 15 (Friday). These annual awards honor current students who have made exceptional contributions to the Notre Dame community.
The , honoring a graduating senior who has made substantial personal efforts to advance the interests of students at Notre Dame, was given to .
The political science and Latino studies major’s involvement in the , and has allowed him to develop relationships on campus that have had a positive impact on the University community. As chief of staff to the 2013-14 student body president, he helped author a recommendation on how to support students of high financial need and has continued dialogue across campus throughout this academic year.
Rangel, a Siegfried Hall resident, serves as founder and president of the Student Coalition for Immigration Advocacy, which fosters education, awareness, advocacy and outreach on the issue of immigration on campus and beyond. In this capacity, he has worked tirelessly to create support and resources to help undocumented students adjust to campus life and flourish at Notre Dame. He also served as a multicultural senior intern for Campus Ministry and was recently a co-leader of the ACC Student Leadership Symposium.
The Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., Award annually honors a graduating senior whose contributions have significantly advanced the climate of welcome and inclusion within or beyond the University community. This year’s recipient is Matthew Wong.
A Duncan Hall resident majoring in biology and Chinese, Wong served as chair of the and has been involved with the , the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, and the . A respected collaborator and servant leader, Wong is also known for inspiring leadership in others.
will be presented with the , given to a post-baccalaureate student who has displayed leadership in promoting a more diverse, inclusive campus community for students at the Graduate 91Ƶ Awards Ceremony on May 15 (Friday).
An electrical engineering doctoral student, Khan currently serves as president of the Muslim Student Association. In this capacity, he has helped provide Muslim students and the Notre Dame community a source to celebrate faith as well as an opportunity for interfaith appreciation. A former member of the Graduate Student Ministry Partnership team, Khan has been instrumental in Campus Ministry‘s approach for graduate student ministry.
The was awarded to Grace Carroll. This award is given to a graduating senior who embodies Blessed Father Moreau’s vision of educating heart and mind as well as someone who has demonstrated significant effort to advancing the Catholic character of the University.
The Ryan Hall resident recently served as student coordinator of the Campus Ministry Freshman Retreat, aiding in the design and development of an updated retreat model that infuses Christian faith, Holy Cross spirituality and Notre Dame community. She has used this experience to inform her work as a committee chair for the department’s , currently underway. In addition, she serves as the Campus Ministry representative in Student Government. Carroll is a theology and Spanish major with a minor in education, schooling and society.
The , given to a graduating senior who exemplifies the ideals of the University through outstanding community service beyond the University community, was awarded to .
Gutierrez serves as president of the Notre Dame chapter of the World Hunger Coalition, which has been active in raising awareness of the issue of hunger, and organizing the Wednesday Lunch Donation, in which students forgo a meal and contribute its monetary value to designated organizations addressing hunger. The club has raised more than $25,000 this academic year in student donations for hunger-relief organizations, including, locally, the Northern Indiana Food Bank. She has also successfully provided support and fundraising to the Monroe Park Grocery Cooperative in South Bend.
A , and Truman Scholarship finalist, Gutierrez is pursuing a double major in political science and Romance languages and literature.
Lauren Vidal was awarded the Mike Russo Spirit Award, honoring an outstanding undergraduate student who exemplifies the qualities for which Mike Russo was known, including service, personal character, and those who strive to bring the best out of themselves and others.
As outgoing student body president, Vidal has had an influential, tangible impact on student life at Notre Dame, notably in the areas of student safety, mental health awareness and engagement with the South Bend community. Known as an exceptional collaborator, Vidal has served on the steering committee for the campus and the executive vice president’s . Vidal is currently pursuing a major in management consulting and a minor in the .
was awarded the , presented to a graduating senior who exemplifies the qualities for which former Notre Dame Trustee Ray Siegfried was known, including leadership, generosity, devotion to the Catholic faith and affinity for athletics.
A Program of Liberal 91Ƶ major and Howard Hall resident, Heeder competed as a three-sport varsity athlete for three years (track and field and cross-country). Merging athletics and service, she co-founded a group devoted to the well-being of women athletes.
Heeder has also shown exceptional leadership in the Robinson Community Learning Center’s Youth Development AmeriCorps, in the Center for Social Concern’s Summer Service Learning Program and as manager of the Notre Dame softball team.
The was presented to Jonathan Warren. This award is given to a graduating senior who exemplify the qualities of Moore, a former Notre Dame associate vice president, who was known for his integrity, character, commitment to Notre Dame and writing ability.
Warren, an English major with minors in business economics and journalism, ethics and democracy, served as editor-in-chief of Scholastic, Notre Dame’s student magazine. He also serves as public relations director of , producing content for the organization’s blog, writing news releases and handling overall design and marketing for the project, which raises more than $750,000 annually for student charities.
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