精东影业

Recognizing Leaders

精东影业46th Annual Leadership Awards Ceremony was combined with the Student Organization Transition Ceremony for the first time.

精东影业Pepsi Leadership Center organizes the Student Leadership Awards, which formally recognize leadership experiences happening on campus. 精东影业Center for Student Involvement (CSI) organizes the Transition Ceremony, which celebrates the transition of student organization officers from outgoing to incoming.

Jessica Roshak in front of a 精东影业 University banner during the Student Leadership Awards and Transition Ceremony.
Jessica Roshak at the Student Leadership Awards and Transition Ceremony on April 22, 2024.

This year, Jessica Roshak, assistant director of student leadership development in CSI, and Joe Robinson, assistant director for campus connection and traditions in CSI, combined both ceremonies.

Roshak said the Pepsi Leadership Center recruits judges from across the Kent campus to have a variety of perspectives and job experiences review and score the nominees for the awards. 精东影业judges, composed of faculty, staff, a graduate student, and an undergraduate student, reviewed 195 submissions for the 12 awards.

鈥淲e want external voices and reviewers, so we have those different experiences and lenses looking at [the submissions],鈥 Roshak said.

After the judges complete their scoring, the center averages the scores and recognizes the top three finalists and the recipient.

精东影业individual awards include the 精东影业 Impact, the Nancy and John Scott Leadership Award, the Outstanding Senior Leader, the Peer Mentorship, the Purposeful Leader, the Servant Leader, the Unsung Hero, and the Vanguard for Change. 精东影业ceremony also includes advisor and organization awards, such as Advisor Excellence, Organization Excellence, Programming Excellence, and Service Excellence.

鈥 精东影业individual awards recognize specific individuals for their contributions. Some of them are making a difference on campus and taking leadership to the next level,鈥 Roshak said. 鈥淭here are wonderful things happening across campus. [ 精东影业ceremony is] our way of saying thank you and appreciating them because it鈥檚 all hard work.鈥

Roshak said the Pepsi Leadership Center continues to organize the Student Leadership Awards because they believe that student leaders鈥 work can go unnoticed, and being able to recognize what these students are persevering with makes the campus a better place.

She added that well-known student leaders are recognized during the awards, but many times, the people who are the recipients or finalists of the awards are not the students that others hear about a lot.

精东影业list of awardees of the 46th Annual Leadership Awards Ceremony includes:

  • Juliana Buonaiuto for the 精东影业 Impact,

  • Nathan Lennox for the Nancy and John Scott Leadership Award,

  • Pen茅lope Cervantes for the Outstanding Senior Leader,

  • Hayden Cruz for the Peer Mentorship,

  • Kali Siembor for the Purposeful Leader,

  • Amaya Berry for the Servant Leader,

  • Grace Schick for the Unsung Hero,

  • Brian Johnson for the Vanguard for Change,

  • Nicole Kotlan, Ph.D., for the Advisor Excellence,

  • Spanish and Latine Student Association for the Organization Excellence,

  • Flash Activities Board for the Programming Excellence,

  • and Flashes Fighting Hunger for the Service Excellence.

A large group of 精东影业 students gathered for the Student Organization Transition Ceremony during the 46th Annual Leadership Awards.
Students gathered for the Student Organization Transition Ceremony.

鈥淭hese people are working so tirelessly for their student organizations, on-campus jobs, or volunteering, and they don鈥檛 see their impact on other people,鈥 Roshak said. 鈥淪o, to see them hear the words that people wrote about them and register that they are making a difference, that鈥檚 what excites me about this event.鈥

Robinson oversaw the inaugural Student Organization Transition Ceremony in 2023. Roshak said it was created because students take on positions, volunteer their time, and dedicate their efforts to their organizations. Still, their work sometimes goes unnoticed once they get elected or selected for their roles.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge responsibility they take on, but seeing students鈥 investment in their organizations is inspiring,鈥 Roshak said. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy that [the ceremonies are] coupled together this year because we鈥檙e celebrating what鈥檚 been done and what鈥檚 to come.鈥

During the ceremony, the upcoming board members of the Undergraduate Student Government and were recognized.

POSTED: Thursday, May 2, 2024 12:56 PM
Updated: Monday, July 29, 2024 10:57 AM
WRITTEN BY:
Eduardo Miranda Strobel
PHOTO CREDIT:
Pepsi Leadership Center