On Sunday, April 16, the Sycamore Leadership Award ceremony honored some Indiana State University students and clubs making a significant impact on campus.
Individual Awards:
Named after the seventh president of Indiana State University, the Alan C. Rankin Distinguished Senior Award honors outstanding men and women of the senior class who have completed over 94 credit hours and contributed to the betterment of campus while maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Recipients show leadership on campus and in community organizations. The 2023 winners are Samuel R. Bowen, Chloee G. Hurst, Om Bimal Dalal, and Sunshine Iman Johnson.
The Freshman Leadership Award is one of the most prestigious leadership awards bestowed upon Indiana State University students. The winners have a 3.0 GPA, are in good standing with ISU, and have demonstrated outstanding leadership and a commitment to STATE and the surrounding area through community service. The recipients are Chloe Kramer and Kaylee Prewitt.
The Graduate Leadership Award honors students in good standing with the University who have significantly impacted the campus and community and demonstrated their leadership abilities by being a positive role models. Sai Sumanth Bondu and Maurice Cortes are the winners.
Lanie Cowper is this year’s J.D. Miller Distinguished Service Award winner. Established in the memory of a proud Sycamore servant leader, the award represents campus and community impact and the last imprint Miller left at ISU. The recipient must show a commitment to service and is in a leadership role in a student organization.
Elijah Riley is the 2023 Outstanding Student Organization Leader winner. This recognition is given to students with leadership qualities that help advance a student organization’s mission and vision, motivate the group to succeed, and exemplify integrity.
Honoring ISU’s eighth president, the Richard G. Landini Outstanding Junior Award recognizes students with a 3.0 GPA and shows the desire and commitment to improving ISU while living up to the school’s ideas and values. Emilee Hartzler, Chase Pondel, Julian Sonntag, and Megan Stegall are the winners.
The Sophomore Leadership Award is given to a student with a GPA of 3.0 that strives to make an impact both on campus and the community and, throughout their time at ISU, promotes one or more of the school’s values. Nick Bement and Jules Broerman are the winners.
Student organization advisors play a critical role in a club’s success. They provide leadership, devotion, and exceptional service to students. The recipients of the Student Organization Advisor of the Year recognize the importance of student organizations and the experiential learning outcomes students can gain from being involved as student leaders. Ellen Malito-Green is the 2023 Student Organization Advisor of the Year.
Organization Awards:
The Honors Council, Student Government Association, and Student Philanthropy Organization won the Collaborative Program of the Year Award. This recognition is given to a program in which two or more student organizations partnered to present an exceptional program, and as a result, got more students involved and connected with the University.
The Amateur Radio Club is the winner of the 2023 Emerging Student Organization of the Year. The award recognizes a club established or reestablished after May 2020 and has demonstrated exceptional growth and performance. The ARC teaches members about radio and computer technology and other helpful information in emergency communications and public service.
This year’s Cultural Program of the Year goes to the Indian Student Association. The club strives to create a lasting impact that creates an understanding of different cultures and provides opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges. The award also represents ISU’s commitment to one of its core values, diversity.
The Most Improved Organization Award goes to a club that makes a significant effort to enhance its overall mission, has revitalized membership, and improved focus on the organization’s mission and internal operations. The Student Theatre Association is the winner due to its continued efforts to promote and provide opportunities for all.
CHILL (Colleagues Helping Implement Lifelong Learning) wins Program of the Year and the Treehouse Award. Since 2014, the education major-based group has been allowing students to get first-hand experiences in their professional field through engaging in mentorships to build a community of professionalism, leadership, and collaboration through an innovative, cross-curricular approach offered by the Bayh College of Education. POTY is given to an organization that has implemented a program resulting in connecting and getting more students involved with the University.
The Treehouse Award represents the excellent use of Treehouse, an online hub for student organizations. CHILL regularly updates its portal and engages with its members through its features.
WZIS is the Student Organization of the Year. The student-run radio group plays several genres of music while keeping students informed on current events on campus. Criteria to win this award include demonstrating outstanding leadership to its members and community, initiative, creativity, teamwork, and more.
Winning the Service Project of the Year Award is Timmy Global Health. The organization strives to expand access to healthcare, strengthen partner organizations, and foster global awareness and humanitarian values in students and volunteers through actively engaging in global development.