Denison annually recognizes graduating seniors who have demonstrated exemplary leadership and service to the University through their involvement in student organizations, in co-curricular activities, on Denison’s staff, and as athletes and scholars. Nominations of deserving students are made by faculty, staff, and student peers. In selecting the recipients, we look for evidence of an enduring commitment to enhancing the quality of life in our community. The students we honor today have made a clear, noticeable and lasting impact on Denisonians’ lives through their leadership efforts.
B.A. Communication
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Pi Kappa Chapter President
- America Reads, Tutor
- NPHC, Community Service Chair
- Office of Admissions, Senior Interviewer
- Sustained Dialogue, Member
Lauren, one of your nominators described your contributions to our campus in this way: you have “advocated tirelessly for the importance of having real conversations across difference and for ensuring that those conversations are inflected by a commitment to genuine service for others.” You have contributed good ideas and visible leadership in conversations about race and racism on campus. Your poise, professionalism and maturity were noted as well, in the contexts of your work with Admissions and in your leadership of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., for which you have served as president. You have been a “game-changer” in a number of Denison contexts. We know you will do this in every community you enter and we are grateful for the ways you have asked us to reflect and to grow, and look forward to seeing the impact you will have in the world.
B.A. Communication and Educational Studies
- Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc., President, Fundraising Chair, Social Chair
- La Fuerza Latina, Treasurer, Historian
- Sazon Latin Dance Group, Coordinator
- Break Away, Site Leader
- Sustained Dialogue, Moderator
Celeste, while serving as a member of the Executive Board of La Fuerza Latina, you played a central role in leading Denison to create a new multicultural space on campus. Indeed, you have held many key leadership roles in critically important multicultural organizations: Programming Chair, Fundraising Chair and then President of Sigma Lambda Gamma, and Vice President for Programming for the Multicultural Greek Council. You have been a visible leader and model of engagement in co-curricular life without sacrificing academic performance. Indeed, your ability to balance many commitments was evident two years ago when you traveled to the New Voices, New Perspectives Student Research Conference in Texas to present a scholarly auto-ethnographic paper you had written for a Denison class. In ways both visible and invisible, you have provided a model of what is possible to achieve with commitment and dedication. Congratulations.
B.A. English Literature and Black Studies
- Kappa Alpha Theta, New Member Educator
- Pan-Hellenic Council, President and Vice President of Development
- Black Studies Department, Fellow
Mary Cate, you have been a quiet but important leader on our campus. You wrote with great humility about your surprise at receiving this award, while expressing gratitude for the lessons of your Denison experience. In particular, you wrote about learning to trust yourself and to find confidence in your judgment. Such self-confidence can be hard to cultivate in any organization when one also wants to effect change. Nonetheless, you earned the respect of your peers, and you earned their willingness to follow you as you forged new relationships between the sororities of Pan-Hellenic Council, which you served as President, and the organizations associated with the National Pan-Hellenic and Multicultural Greek Councils. You made clear that embracing the diversity represented in the traditions, rituals and celebrations across Denison’s sororities could make the experience of participation in fraternity and sorority life more interesting and more rewarding for everyone. Your peers admire you and seek the warmth of your kindness, and see through your model of hard work how much can be achieved with diligence and compassion. Thank you.
B.A. in International Studies and B.A. Women’s Studies
- Muslim Students Association, President
- DCGA, Community senator
- Resident Assistant
- African Students Association, Member
- DCA, Volunteer
Aissata, you have served as a leader in a number of capacities at Denison, working with the Vail Series, in residential education, June orientation, the library and the art history department. But it is your work on behalf of the Muslim Student Association (MSA) that has been most transformative. The MSA has grown numerically but also in complexity, representing many regions of the world and different denominations of Islam. Further, your members are largely younger, without much experience of organizational life or process. Your challenge was to ensure the longevity of the organization by attending closely to the disparate needs of your members, to make sure that they were well-supported with resources, programs and events, and to build a leadership infrastructure. You have, of course, also modeled the proud exercise of your faith. We honor and support you in your goals as you’ve described them: to advocate for others but not speak for them, to stand in solidarity with others but not claim their experiences, and to be vulnerable while standing against any and all injustices.
B.A. in International Studies and Women’s Studies
- Dept. of Student Conduct, Restorative Justice Fellow
- SHARE Advocates, Vice President, Events Coordinator
- Office of Admissions, Senior Interviewer
- Resident Assistant
- Delta Gamma, Director of New Members, Honor Board Member
Jordan, the list of ways you have been engaged intellectually and for the common good during your Denison years can only inspire deep respect and a bit of awe: executive roles with SHARE, Honor Board for Delta Gamma, senior interviewer with Admissions, volunteer firefighter, resident assistant, D.U. Lead facilitator, Women Studies Fellow conducting research on post-genocide restoration, peace and security in Rwanda, and restorative justice facilitator. Your nominators describe you with appreciation and admiration. They say that you care deeply and selflessly for the Denison community, that you are a strong role model for other women on campus, and that you are an agent of changes whose impact will be felt in many campus venues long after you graduate. We are moved by your commitment to making our community better and honored to have been a part of your story at Denison.
B.A. History
- College Democrats, President, Vice President, Treasurer
- Head Resident and Resident Assistant
- Office of Admissions, Senior Interviewer
- Varsity Football
- Varsity Men’s Lacrosse
Alex, in your reflection you invoked a quote of Robert F. Kennedy: “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why…I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?” As an athlete and a resident assistant, you often looked for opportunities to improve the situations of those around you, to contribute to our community through the individual lives you touched. But you were always seeking other avenues for change-making, such as work on behalf of your political party. All of that groundwork paid off this year, when you established “A Call to Action.” Your energy for this project was palpable to everyone with whom you spoke, and you spoke with a lot of people in an effort to be inclusive, engaging and effective. You encouraged and supported your peers, and you inspired them with a model of action. We hope that, now that the flame of activism has been lit, it will burn bright and light the way in every community you enter after Denison.
B.A. Sociology/Anthropology and Women’s Studies
- Denison Service Orientation, Coordinator
- Leadership Fellow
- Break Away, Site Leader
- DCA, Events committee member
- CLIC, Student staff member
Emma, your Denison leadership journey began as a participant in the Denison Service Orientation (DSO) where you encountered ideas that would shape your college career: social justice, service, and above all, leadership. True to those ideals, you devoted yourself to creating safe spaces that foster community and belonging. As a leader of DSO, August and June orientations, a Campus Leadership & Involvement Center team member and Leadership Fellow, you created countless opportunities for Denisonians to engage across difference and for a common purpose. Facilitating and coordinating Denison’s flagship leadership programs, D.U. Lead and LeaderShape, allowed you to live out the vision of creating a just, caring and thriving campus and world, while inspiring your peers to embrace their identities as change makers. In your reflection, you said leadership is “not about a position, but about a way of showing up in the world, of living with congruence and investing fully in relationships and bettering communities.” Emma, you are the epitome of that definition in action. Thank you for making our Denison community more inclusive, welcoming and empowering.
B.A. Theatre and Economics
- Sketch’rs Comedy Troupe, President
- Women’s Performance Group, President
- DITA, Director, Actor
Will, passionate, communicative, accountable and conscientious are just a few ways to describe your leadership on stage and behind the scenes. Whether directing one-acts or the “Genital Monologues,” striving to improve the Denison Independent Theatre Association, or being on stage yourself, you significantly impact the experience of your peers. You prompt others to produce their best work, create an atmosphere of mutual trust and support, and are considered to be a true joy to perform with and be directed by. You were instrumental in founding Sketch’rs Sketch Comedy Troupe and as president have guided the group forward, ensuring efficiency in operations and engagement of members. In your leadership of both Sketch’rs and Women’s Performance Group, you make sure all members feel comfortable expressing themselves on both creative and personal levels, and you’re valued for respecting the opinions of others, soliciting input, and then incorporating others’ thoughts to make the organization even stronger. Today, we recognize and thank you for your fantastic work as a producer, director, actor, and leader and for meaningfully contributing to the performing arts at Denison.
B.A. Latin
- InterFraternity Council, President, VP of Development
- CSMART, Board member
- Lambda Chi Alpha, Social relations chair
- Business and Entrepreneurship club, Vice President
- Eta Sigma Phi National Honor Society, Member
Brandon, you wrote about discovering the difference between holding a leadership position and acting as an effective leader. As Inter Fraternity Council President, you faced the choice: a fancy title or using that title to seek meaningful change. Choosing the latter, you determined that effective leadership centers on inspiring others to act with integrity. You modeled that integrity, and asked other fraternity men to do the same, embracing the values that have made their organizations strong and honorable. Your goal of dismantling negative fraternity stereotypes propelled you to join the Community Sexual Assault Awareness and Response Team (CSMART) and to raise expectations for all men on campus regarding sexual assault and high standards of personal behavior. You engaged a nationally renowned speaker to speak here about healthy relationships, and the strong student turnout affirmed not just the event’s value, but also your peers’ support for your efforts. The college and all Denisonians are grateful for your vigor and determination, and we hope others will continue to emulate your commitments and effectiveness.
B.A. Economics
- Dining Committee, Chair
- Head Resident and Resident Assistant
Raghav, your leadership is characterized by great engagement, significant commitment, and deep relationships. You state that leadership is not about talking; it is about doing and pursuing change. Your leadership and campus contributions reflect that philosophy of taking action. As chair of the Dining Committee, you were instrumental in the revision of meal plans and the re-design of the Roost. Your deep commitment to transparency and dialogue is evidenced by the open forum you hosted about meal plans, providing an opportunity for peers to share feedback to shape the plan’s evolution. You have also served on the residential education staff, as resident assistant and now head resident. In this role, you are admired by your staff and your residents, having a respected ability to hold peers accountable while maintaining friendships and building community in the process. What is shared in your Res Ed and Dining Committee roles is your ability to build relationships and trust among different constituents to create a better, stronger and brighter Denison community.
B.A. Economics
- DISA, President
- Leadership Fellow
- Model United Nations, President
Rohin, your passion for Denison is contagious. In fact, one underclassman reflects that his decision to come to Denison was largely influenced by your involvement on campus and love for Denison. As President of the Denison International Student Association (DISA), you strengthened the international community and revitalized the organization, significantly increasing the attendance at DISA events. Under your leadership, DISA educated the campus about different cultures by organizing engaging events and programs. As a Leadership Fellow, you helped other students develop and strengthen their own leadership skills. You planned and executed programs including Signature, devoted to helping students understand how identity relates to leadership. During your junior year, you served on the TEDx organizing committee, not only selecting the content for the event but also branding and marketing it, producing a novel and meaningful experience for the campus community. While we recognize your formal leadership roles, we also deeply value the contributions you make to the campus community each day through your positive and inclusive nature. You are the model of why it’s fun to learn from each other.
B.A. Biology and Environmental Studies
- Sustainability Fellows, Student Coordinator
- Gaming Guild, Executive Board Member
Daniel, I appreciated that your reflection recalled your surprise at being selected as a Distinguished Leader. As you noted, your leadership hasn’t been boisterous, nor has it occurred in the organizations that are normally identified as leadership training grounds. But you have brought much more meaningful qualities—creativity, diligence, conscientiousness, and a welcoming attitude—to the Gaming Guild (which has a large and devoted following) and to your work as a Sustainability Fellow and Coordinator. Your reflection noted some of the ways you had learned and grown as a leader, and recalled how you were challenged by other Denisonians who were invested in your success. Their efforts have been well-rewarded by your increased effectiveness in planning events to further campus sustainability efforts and in conveying your passion for the environment. We look forward to seeing what you do with your skills, knowledge and talents.
B.A. Sociology/Anthropology and Black Studies
- Paving the Way, Student Ambassador
- Black Student Union, Member
- Office of Admissions, Senior Interviewer
- Multicultural recruitment and scholarship committee, Member
Marissa, you have a deep passion and keen ability for helping fellow students transition to and succeed in college—beginning with your work in Admissions and spanning your various mentorship roles. You have served as an Admissions intern, summer assistant, overnight host, tour guide and senior interviewer. You have volunteered your time, including weekends, to travel on behalf of the college to speak to prospective students and families about Denison. Your commitment to helping students succeed extends to students’ first-year transition. As a June Orientation Leader, D.U. Lead Club Advisor and Paving the Way ambassador, you have mentored students, deeply impacting their college experience. And you have also positively influenced our social culture by serving on the Ad Hoc Committee on Alcohol & Its Effects and the Drug & Alcohol Resource Team. In these roles, you have represented your peers to create a social culture characterized by greater respect and responsibility. Marissa, we are most appreciative of the contributions you have made to our community.
B.A. Political Science
- Denison Sustainability Fellows, Fellow and Coordinator
- Sustained Dialogue, Moderator
- Kappa Kappa Gamma, Member at Large, Standards Committee, and Senior Member, Academic Excellence Committee
Sustainability Fellow, Sustained Dialogue Moderator, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Denison Community Association volunteer. Sarah, your nominators describe you as a passionate, dedicated leader who strives to create a more inclusive, accepting, and sustainable campus community. Your campus leadership has produced lasting effects, perhaps most observable through the Sustainability Fellows program, where you worked with residential education to shape an intentional and meaningful experience for first-year students. Among your many accomplishments with Denison Sustainability Fellows, you developed trainings for other fellows, promoted the I Love Granville campaign encouraging community members to shop locally, and initiated “party with consent” to encourage peers to socialize responsibly and respectfully. Describing you as genuine and kind, a nominator writes, “Sarah makes Denison a better place through her demeanor and personality,” because you are someone who thinks deeply and embodies all it means to be a Denisonian. Sarah, we thank you for your lasting impact on our community, helping students to understand the interconnectedness between environment, economy, and social justice and empowering your peers to find and share their voice.
B.A. History
- Outlook, President
- Southeastern Ohio Legal Services, Community Intern
Nikki, your nominators spoke eloquently about why you deserve this recognition. You have moved Outlook from the periphery of student life to the center of campus conversations. You have done passionate and heartfelt work with other student organizations in response to national, local and campus events of discrimination and violence, responding in ways that demonstrated sensitivity, humility, integrity and a drive to get things done. In all things you have sought collaboration, not merely as a matter of practicality but also of a philosophy centered on building social justice coalitions and communities of respect and support. The willingness of others to collaborate with you is testimony to their respect for you. This is the consequence of your reputation for effectiveness, but also for conveying your completely genuine care for others, and for their welfare. I share, and I’m sure others do too, the sentiment of this nominator’s words: “It is the work of students like you that makes Denison the place it is, and that makes us all so proud to have known you.”
B.A. Educational Studies
- Safezone, Co-President
- Kappa Delta Pi, President
- DCGA, 2015 Senator
Bryan, you are described as working tirelessly to make the Denison community a more inclusive, accepting place and inspiring others to recognize and address social justice issues on campus and beyond. Beyond your outstanding leadership of Outlook and Safe Zone, you are a valued member of the Center for Cross-Cultural Engagement staff and Paving the Way team. You’re also a respected leader within the Denison Campus Governance Association, where you steered a gender-neutral housing resolution. You challenge those around you to reflect critically on their own roles in addressing societal injustices and model that social justice is best accomplished by joining hands across lines of difference and offering respect, voice and empowerment. As a nominator wrote, “Bryan’s efforts to engender dialogue, compassion and connection have helped us be a stronger community and confront difficult issues with openness and respect.” Bryan, we thank you for being a visible and consistent voice for social justice; your open, unassuming and humble presence allows others to engage with and learn from one another in truly meaningful ways.
B.S. Biology and B.A. Athletic Training
- Denison Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, President
- Women’s Varsity Softball, Captain
- Kappa Alpha Theta, Chief Operating Officer
- Bike-O, August Orientation, Student Leader
- Office of Admissions, Senior Interviewer
Big Brothers Big Sisters, Orientation Leader, Kappa Alpha Theta, Denison Student Athlete Advisory Committee President, and Varsity Athlete are just a few ways in which you have been active on campus. This year you became captain of the softball team; however, you have been recognized as a leader from the beginning for putting the team before any individual interest. You have earned deep respect from your peers and serve as a role model for other women. You have transformed Relay for Life, where you catalyzed more community involvement and created fun and educational programming that would unite attendees. One staff member observes that you haven’t done these things for recognition or praise, but because you believe in their value. You have written, “As a leader I exist for the betterment of others and to…find and celebrate success in people and circumstances.” You view leadership as getting others to believe in themselves. Emily, we thank you for prompting fellow Denisonians to believe in themselves and for celebrating the successes of others; your positive leadership has made an impact.
B.A. Economics
- Men’s Rugby Team, Captain and President
- Denison Enterprises, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Chris, you have made a strong impression in each of your areas of campus service: as an economics tutor, as the captain and president of the men’s rugby team, and as chief financial officer of Denison Enterprises. You are also well-known on campus for your service as a non-commissioned Marine Corps officer, and Denison’s only current enrolled veteran. In your reflection on leadership, you observed that the Marine Corps orders leadership priorities as mission, first, and the welfare of the troops, second. You were uneasy reversing these, as we often do at Denison, making sure that students are comfortable, accepted and not offended, and then getting on with the task at hand. You pushed your peers, focusing on hard work and goal attainment. Your approach has nonetheless created many admirers, who describe you as encouraging, fair, positive, earnest, organized and responsible. You seem to have inspired each person with whom you have come into contact, Chris. We feel honored by your contributions at Denison.
B.A. Communication
- June Orientation, Student Staff Co-Coordinator
- Leadership Fellow
- Office of Admissions, Senior Interviewer
- Campus Affairs Council, Student Representative
- Resident Assistant
Megan, you say leadership is “creating the space for others to realize their full potential.” You carefully curated your involvements at Denison in that spirit as a community builder in residential education, a voice for others as a Denison Campus Governance Association Class Senator, a friendly face as a June Orientation leader and staff coordinator and a role model for others in all of your pursuits. In your reflection, you point to leadership programs like D.U. Lead and LeaderShape as being personally transformational for you; that transformation spurred you to become a Leadership Fellow and embrace the identity of a servant leader. A nominator commented that you “are a resilient young woman of the highest integrity” with a “commitment to living a wholehearted life and sharing of her time, heart, humor and relentless optimism selflessly.” You’ve been known to refer to your mentors or guiding voices as “lighthouse people.” Megan, thank you for being a lighthouse person for countless others here at Denison - and for the many more whose paths you’ll illuminate throughout your life.
B.A. Women’s Studies and Black Studies
- Resident Assistant
- Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society, Member
- Campus Climate Team, Member
- Taekwondo, Member
- Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc., Fundraising Chair, Vice President of Recruitment, Assistant Associate Member Educator
CeCe, you embody the power of a Denison experience where curricular and co-curricular learning are deeply integrated. Your academic foci within Women’s Studies, Black Studies, and Queer Studies have provided you with an understanding of multiple and intersecting identities and connect to your leadership as an advocate with SHARE and Safe Zone. As a resident assistant, you have helped your community work through racial tension, created community compacts, raised awareness of social justice issues, challenged peers to consider multiple perspectives, and planned programs addressing morals and ethics. Your personality and approach to your work set a positive tone for your residents and colleagues; a nominator writes that your very presence inspires your peers to become better people. Through your service on Multicultural Greek Council, you have strived to unite groups, through an emphasis on open and honest communication and fair decision-making. CeCe, thank you for enriching our campus dialogue by helping us to understand issues through multiple lenses; we are grateful for your contributions.
B.A. Religion
- Denison Christian Community, President
- Denison Independent Theatre Association, Member
- Articulate: Journal of Literary and Cultural Criticism, Editorial Board
Intelligent, compassionate, and thoughtful, Tori, you are a builder of community and widely acknowledged for having personally transformed the Denison Christian Community (DCC) through your presidential leadership. Nominators observe that you built DCC into a thriving community from virtually nothing—establishing weekly small groups and prayer nights, fellowship lunches, monthly community meetings and dinners and annual retreats. Beyond your work with DCC, you tutor and mentor students and build community within the Religion Department while significantly contributing to The Open House as a staff member. While the sheer volume of improvement you’ve produced is impressive, even more remarkable is the process by which you’ve created change. You have been observed mediating interpersonal conflict with grace and understanding, reaching out to student organizations to form collaborative partnerships, and setting aside your own needs and priorities to serve and lead those around you. In your reflection, you write that leadership is about sacrifice, service, and love. Tori, the now-thriving Denison Christian Community reflects these gifts. We thank you for the love and service you have given to Denison.
B.A. Chemistry
- Multicultural Greek Council, President
- Paving the Way Pre-Orientation, Co-Coordinator
- Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Inc., Community Service Chair
- Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Volunteer
- Break Away, Site leader
Larissa, your contributions to Denison are characterized by extraordinary breadth and depth. Career Exploration & Development staff observe that as a Professional Development Fellow you brought sincerity and an unwavering desire for constructive impact with every student you met. You further contributed to the office by serving on the CE&D Director Search Committee, where you thoughtfully represented student needs and perspectives. Your mentorship of other students is also visible through your involvement in the Center for Cross-Cultural Engagement, having served as Paving the Way Ambassador and Co-Coordinator. As President of the Multicultural Greek Council, your work was described as “extraordinary,” “scholarly” and “service-driven.” Through Sigma Lambda Gamma, you empowered other women and raised cultural awareness. In your reflection, you stated that you hope that you’ve influenced younger Denisonians to continue the legacy of campus involvement. Larissa, not only have you inspired younger generations of Denisonians, but your poise, maturity and commitment to this community have also inspired faculty and staff who have had the opportunity and pleasure of working with you.
B.A. Economics
- Black Student Union, Vice-Chief Minister
- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Vice President
- National Pan-Hellenic Council, Vice President
- Agape Christian Fellowship, Treasurer
- Head Resident and Resident Assistant
Najee, in describing you, your recommenders returned often to the concept of voice. They describe someone who has developed a steady voice, an influential voice, and an authoritative voice. That voice has been powerful in theatrical and musical settings, but has also rocked critical spaces across campus, from the flagpole to a meeting with Denison’s Board of Trustees. You have been an impassioned and respected educator on matters of justice. You have been a mentor to younger students finding their way at Denison. You have been a bridge-builder among students and student organizations, including Alpha Phi Alpha, National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Alliance Reinventing Tradition, and the Black Student Union, all of which you served in executive capacities. At the same time, you have been uncompromising in your expectations of yourself and your college, challenging us to reach for the kind of greatness that benefits all. Your voice will echo here for a long time, Najee, in the halls of the campus and the minds of Denisonians who have listened closely to you and learned from you.
B.A. Psychology and International Studies
- Sustained Dialogue, President, Moderator
- Relay for Life, Chair of Recruitment and Development
- Middle Eastern Cultural Organization, Vice President
- International Studies Faculty Committee, Senior Representative
Alison, you have had transformative effects on our campus through your leadership of Sustained Dialogue. You came to the presidency of this organization with clear commitments to build collaborations, to deepen the questions being engaged, and to conduct extensive background research on the issues being addressed in this year’s dialogues. Your advisor says your success in these laid the foundation for important community dialogues for which you served as primary organizer, on the Israel-Palestine conflict, race and the Ferguson decision, the relationship between bigotry and Halloween costumes on our own campus, and about how our campus’s racial climate has and has not advanced since 2007. Your success produced broadened participation and increased sophistication in campus discourse on issues important to Denisonians. Your leadership elsewhere on campus—with Relay for Life, residential education, and the Middle Eastern Cultural Organization—has been marked by thoughtfully-forged relationships and respect. We are hopeful, Alison, that your experiences here will underpin your continued work on matters of peace, justice and empowerment.
B.S. Biology
- Ultimate Frisbee, Treasurer, Captain
- Academic Integrity Board, Senior member
- Biology Department, Fellow
Teresa, in academics, service to the university, and athletics, you demonstrate what it means to lead at Denison. In the Biology Department, you are a highly committed lab teaching assistant and dedicated tutor, while also serving as a positive and encouraging voice within the department. On the University Honor Committee, you have dedicated your time by serving on numerous panels, but you are most distinguished in your commitment to educating the Denison community about academic integrity. To do so, you created print materials and planned and delivered presentations in an effort to help your peers understand academic integrity and Denison’s expectations. Serving as captain of the Ultimate Frisbee team, you manage many different responsibilities—recruiting members, planning practices, setting expectations for your peers, and overseeing the budget. In addition, your organization, communication skills and dependability were instrumental in the planning and execution of tournaments. Teresa, we thank you for your impact on the Denison community, especially in the classroom and lab, on the playing field, and in upholding Denison’s expectations regarding integrity.
B.A. Communication
- Head Resident and Resident Assistant
- Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity Inc., Vice President and Treasurer
- Multicultural Greek Council, President (2013-2014)
- Order of Omega, Member
- Lambdi Pi Eta Communication Honorary, Member
Xavier, as the Multicultural Greek Council (MCG) President, you were recognized not only for creating bylaws and a constitution, but for creating a family and a community within MGC. Whether in fraternity and sorority life, residential education or intramural sports, you’ve demonstrated your ability to connect students and foster collaboration. You have dedicated your time and talent to exploring ways to provide different social opportunities for students on weekend evenings, positively impacting Denison’s social culture. Notably, you worked with others to design and initiate “Late Night at Mitchell” where students can enjoy each other’s company in a safe, fun environment. As resident assistant and head resident, you have modeled integrity for your residents and the broader community and you demand that, in every moment, we treat one another with compassion and respect. Xavier, you meet people where they are and help them construct the experiences they seek. In return, they describe you as courageous, trustworthy and honorable. Thank you for making such a significant impact on our community.
B.A. History
- Denison Religious Understanding , Elder Council Member, Pipe-Bearer
- Leadership Fellow
- Sustained Dialogue, Participant
Sunder, your essay shared three lessons about leadership: First, you said, sometimes the truest leaders are those working quietly behind the scenes without title or even recognition. This describes the humility and enthusiasm with which you jumped in to get international students registered during June Orientation, and volunteered for all manner of tasks to support Outdoor Orientation. Second, the best leaders constantly listen and seek to support the expressed needs of a community—just as you sought to enhance understanding across lines of religious difference—as a starting point. For you, listening meant moving beyond superficial understanding, celebration, and even conversation, to retreats, dancing, and cooking. Third, good leaders leave a legacy, structures that allow the group to function even after a leader has relinquished the reins. You learned and implemented new practices in Denison Religious Understanding that grew the group, but also infused it with an energy that will propel it into a new era. Your leadership education has led you to many corners of the college, and all are better as a result of your having been there.
B.A. Psychology
- Denison Community Association, President
- DU Lead, Club Advisor
- Psychology Department, Fellow
- August Orientation, Group Leader
- Office of Admissions, Senior Interviewer
Megan, like others among this year’s awardees, you wrote about discovering your strengths as a quiet leader. In the eyes of your nominators, these are many. They describe you as a respectful listener, a competent and conscientious professional, and a person of kind and considerate disposition whose care for others engages and motivates them. Your compassionate nature has found greatest expression in your work for the Denison Community Association and as a D.U. Lead Club Advisor. Your professional aptitudes and your ability to put others at ease have been important in these settings, as well as in your work as a senior interviewer and August Orientation student leader. As a representative student meeting with prospective students, you have shaped future students’ expectations of what it means to be a Denisonian; we’d love all future students to mirror your thoughtfulness, your academic excellence, and your commitment to bettering the lives of others, on and off campus
B.A. Philosophy, Political Science and Economics
- DCGA, Speaker of the Senate
- Resident Assistant
- Office of Admissions, Senior Interviewer
- Beta Theta Pi, Member
- Men’s Club Volleyball, Treasurer
For four years you have been a wholly positive force on campus. Your leadership of the Men’s Club Volleyball team was an early opportunity to practice the organization, communication aptitude, integrity and follow-through that later characterized your work in Campus Affairs Council, the Recent Student Trustee Screening committee and as a senior interviewer. As Denison Campus Governance Association Speaker, you gauged adeptly the times when silence would be more powerful than speech, and when your speech was particularly needed to move the body forward. A nominator says your sensitivity allowed peers to “hear you when they might be deaf to others.” Your brothers in Beta Theta Pi view you as emblematic of the outstanding community member they wish their name to embody, saying you “bring passion, wisdom, and energy to every Beta activity [you] take part in, from service to rituals to intramural sports.” In your reflection, you said your views of leadership have evolved from one grounded in position and title to a focus on contribution, commitment and service. The best leaders, you wrote, “own their mission.” You’ve shown our campus what that kind of ownership can mean.
B.A. Sociology/Anthropology and Black Studies
- Black Student Union, Chief Minister (President)
- Center for Women and Gender Action, Program Assistant
Maya, your nominators say you “are the definition of real,” a person who speaks your mind, raises awareness when you see that things are not right, and who is fearless when it comes to addressing matters of gender or race inequality. As Chief Minister of the Black Student Union, you are described as having formulated and served as the ardent spokesperson decrying national tragedies of racial discrimination and the forms they take on our campus. You have rallied campus allies to the flagpole to protest injustice and to call for change. Your commitments regarding gender equality have centered on matters of sexual health, which you promoted on campus through your employment at the Center for Women & Gender Action, and through projects like the “Love Your Body” photo campaign. You lead not by example but by direct action, by unequivocal speech, and by sheer determination and conviction, demonstrating daily the resiliency that you identify as the hallmark of an effective leader.