Students honored for leadership

More than 70 students were honored for extraordinary contributions to Lehigh student life in an awards ceremony May 5. In attendance were the students, family members and senior administrators who presented the awards. The event was preceded by a reception in the Asa Packer Dining Room in the University Center.

In his first Lehigh Student Life Leadership Awards ceremony, President John Simon said the university has clearly “been blessed with extraordinary students who care deeply about the institution and our campus culture.”

In addition to thriving academically, he said, “these students found the time and the energy to devote their skills to nurturing dialogue, creating a more welcoming environment for all students, developing engaging programming, encouraging activism on important social issues, and for stepping up in leadership roles. Working across constituencies, they have all contributed to a better Lehigh, and we thank them for that.”

Also on hand to present the University Service Award was Board of Trustees Chair Brad Scheler ’74, ’05P, ’08P, ’09PG, who honored two seniors—Anna D’Ginto and Matthew Bay—whose “influence, ideals, and activities have been unselfishly devoted to the best interests of their fellow students.”

The two students’ contributions are not so much a measure of the number of their activities or their prominence on campus, Scheler said, as they are a “measure of the devotion and unselfishness with which these individuals give of their time and effort to help serve others.”

Scheler praised D’Ginto for her “excellent judgement, poise, leadership ability and her dedication to Lehigh. He said D’Ginto was “an exemplary role model for her peers in standing up for organizational values, integrity and behavior. Her presence in the Student Senate and on campus will be missed.”

Bay was selected for the Service Award for excelling in a challenging and demanding leadership role with Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and the Interfraternity Council.
 
Scheler described Bay as “a remarkable individual with both visionary skills and the ability to execute a plan. He works extremely well with others and is respected by peers and senior-level university administrators alike.

“In his tenure across each of his roles,” Scheler said, “[Bay] has adhered to the cardinal principles of his fraternity, never allowing the pressures of social climbing and conformity to influence his decisions.”

The Bosey Reiter Leadership Cup was presented by Provost Pat Farrell to Danielle Tait (in absentia) and Michael A. Garzillo.

Tait was recognized for her contributions as a Gryphon, a founding member of the LU chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho, and her service on multiple committees across campus, including the CEC, the Commission on the Residential Experience and the current search committee for the next Vice Provost of Student Affairs.

Farrell said that students “just don’t pop into these roles. It takes a dedicated student who shows her passion for not only wanting to make Lehigh a better place for her peers, but also has a good sense of self, trust built among various groups, and an understanding of the ways experiences can impact a student’s success in college and beyond.”

Garzillo, Farrell said, “is the embodiment of what a Lehigh student-athlete can aspire to. In addition to a high level of success in the classroom, [Garzillo] has been an outstanding baseball player and has earned a number of honors: All Patriot League, Player of the Year and second-team All-American.”

Garzillo was also selected in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft by the New York Yankees, but turned down that opportunity in order to finish his Lehigh degree. These accomplishments, Farrell said, “pale in contrast to his influence as a leader. Our nominator described him as a ‘once-in- a-generation young man when it comes to leadership, character and genuine kindness and respect.’”

Allison Gulati, associate dean of students, presented Guylendy (Lendy) Dormevil with the Debbie Pearsall Award, which was established following the former student’s death to honor her energy, enthusiasm, campus engagement and “relentlessly positive attitude about life.”

Dormevil, Gulati said, worked on organizing Diversity Life Weekend, which brings more than 150 prospective students from diverse backgrounds to campus. Even as a sophomore, Dormevil showed “the maturity and the tenacity to handle everything thrown her way, keep smiling and keep doing her work. Our recipient has consistently served as an example of integrity, persistence, courage, honesty and personal strength.”

The Student Club/Organization of the Year Award went to the Indian Students Association for delivering consistently high-quality and well-attended programs, including the Holi Festival of Colors that drew more than 600 students, and their signature Diwali Festival.

In presenting the award, Dakota DiMattio, incoming president of the Student Senate, said that many of the nominators noted the role the Indian Students Association plays in “bringing the campus community together and enriching the culture, while also educating and expanding understanding.”

In opening the ceremony, Sharon Basso, associate vice provost and dean of students, said that every year she’s been at Lehigh students have impressed her with their dedication, passion, poise and maturity.

“We see them come in as first-year students with the typical concerns about this new experience,” Basso said. “And we see them leave four years later as exceptional, confident and accomplished young men and women. I think I can speak for all of us in Student Affairs in saying that we are very honored to be a part of that transformational process, and we are very proud of the young men and women they’ve become.”

Here is the full list of award recipients:

CONTRIBUTION TO STUDENT LIFE AWARDS

Matthew J. Bonshak
Sean T. Byrne
Jamie M. Campisi
Gladys Castellon
Dakota M. DiMattio
Evan L. Eckersley
Yuan Gao
Daniel R. Gonzalez
Katherine L. Jennison
Drew A. Longo
Kelly M. Mayid
Aakash R. Phulwani
Bailey A. Shelton
Divya G. Sirdeshpande
Jeremy B. Sordan
Cody G. Trilio
Eden H. Weinflash  
Nicole A. Yozzo

JAMES J. DUANE III STUDENT LIFE LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Elif N. Anda
Matthew D. Bay
Lyasha C. Bishop
Kris Datta
Trishna A. Dave
Morgan M. Decker
Jonathan S. Densa
Anna M. D’Ginto
Guylendy Dormevil
Robert F. Epes
Allison P. Fletcher
Katherine T. Fletcher
Kendall L. Garden
Michael A. Garzillo
Michelle C. Juarez
Min Jun Kim
Jeffrey S. Liebman
Katherine J. MacLachan
Amy E. Matula
Ornella C. Ngounou
William J. O’Sullivan
Elizabeth S. Sharlow
Rachel O. Sholder
Danielle D. Taitt
Allie O. Tookmanian
Makima L. Wilkinson
Aaron G. Zacharaia

GRADUATE STUDENT LIFE LEADERSHIP AWARD

Rozhin Hajian
Cecilia Lesomar
Leah Spangler

OUTSTANDING EDUCATIONAL PROGAMMING AWARD

Relay for Life (Colleges Against Cancer and the American Cancer Society)

EXCELLENCE IN ENTERTAINMENT

Fusion (Asian Cultural Society and the Black Student Union)

EXEMPLARY CULTURAL PROGRAMMING

Namaste Lehigh (Indian Student Association, in conjunction with India Club and Leela)

STUDENT CLUB/ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR AWARD

Indian Students Association

STUDENT CLUB/ORGANIZATION ADVISOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Denise Beautreau, advisor for Alpha Chi Sigma and the National Society for Black Engineers

STUDENT SENATE LEADERSHIP AWARD

Kris Datta
Dakota M. DiMattio
Bruke A. Mammo
Tiffany J. Montgomery
Rachel O. Sholder
Chester V. Toye

RESIDENCE HALL ASSOCIATION CHARACTER AWARD

Katie Teitelbaum
Eden Weinflash

UJIMA AWARD

Gladys Castellon
Aakash Phulwani

SERVICE ABOVE SELF AWARD

Katherine T. Fletcher
Nicholas D. Leight

ALLEGIANCE AWARD

Kris Datta
Jonathan S. Densa
Carolyn M. Mazzie

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UNDERGRADUATE MERIT AWARD

Morgan Decker
Paige Elliot
Allison Fletcher
Richard Johnson

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION GRADUATE MERIT AWARD

Laura Kremmel
David Fine
Milad Siami

DEBORAH PEARSALL AWARD

Guylendy (Lendy) Dormevil

BOSEY REITER LEADERSHIP CUP

Danielle D. Taitt
Michael A. Garzillo

UNIVERSITY SERVICE AWARD

Anna M. D’Ginto
Matthew D. Bay

 

Story by Linda Harbrecht

Photos by John Kish IV