By Alora Peters, Editor-in-Chief
On Wednesday, April 19, members of the Saint Leo University community gathered for the annual presentation of the Student Affairs and Student Government Union (SGU) awards.
Students, faculty, and staff enjoyed a reception and social hour in the Student Community Center prior to the beginning of the ceremony; many guests in attendance showed off their Saint Leo spirit in green and gold outfits for the formal event.
The night’s awards were presented in a variety of different categories within the various divisions of the Department of Student Affairs.
Firstly, phenomenal athletes and were recognized from each of Saint Leo’s competitive club teams, namely, Cheer, GoldRush Dance, E-Sports, Sporting Clays, and Hockey. The awardees are as follows:
Cheer
Rookie of the Year – Lindsay Molinero
Spirit of Leo – Brooke Pudoka
Team MVP – Laila Gilyard
GoldRush Dance
Star Performer – Amanda Eggen
Outstanding Dance Technique – Audrey Ang
Dancer of the Year – Jacqaise Anselm
E-Sports
Most Improved Athlete – Ashton Colson
Most Valuable Athlete – Francisco “Cisco” Echevarria
Leadership Award – Catalina Alvarez
Sporting Clays
Leadership Award – Daniel Konesky
Ambassador Award – Isaac Standridge
Heart of Leo Award – Austin Stack
Club Hockey
Jack Prieto Award – Jack Prieto
MVP Award – Michael Milosevski
Club advisors and coaches for each team commended their athletes and their accomplishments before the ceremony transitioned into the SGU award presentation.
Recognition was firstly given to the members of the Campus Activities Board – Ashley Griffith, Judeah Moss, Olamide Fasida, Crystal Smith, and Traliyah Carey – and the members of the SGU Executive Board – Daniel Konesky, Khristian Parrish, Leonardo Kelly, Isabella Riano, and Ashley Tucker.
Two awards were presented to members of the SGU senate:
Outstanding Senator – Savonne Waterman
Outstanding Committee – Philanthropy Committee
The SGU awards also included recognition of exceptional students from each year, who are noted below:
Outstanding Freshman – Benjamin Haspidis
Outstanding Sophomore – Judeah Moss
Outstanding Junior – Tayhana Taylor
Two awards were presented to graduating seniors who have demonstrated remarkable leadership and service to the Saint Leo community:
Tobey Award – Ashley Griffith
Rebecca L. Buller Award – Hailey Latief
The final SGU awards were presented to deserving faculty and staff members. The Lonzo Helton award is presented to a non-student who demonstrates true service to the Saint Leo community and dedication to the spirit and values of the university. The Beth G. Evans, Maura Snyder, and Robert Ackerman awards each honor an outstanding support staff member, faculty member, and administrator, respectively.
Lonzo Helton Award – Kimesha Norris
Beth G. Evans Award – Ana Quintero
Maura Snyder Award – Dr. Randall Woodard
Robert Ackerman Award – Dr. Anthony DeSantis
Next, Student Affairs presented a series of awards, beginning with awards recognizing students who are an outstanding representation of each of the six Saint Leo core values.
Integrity – Daniel Konesky
Respect – Reese Hathaway
Community – Jack Prieto
Responsible Stewardship – Abegail Moncur
Excellence – Vineet Shinde
Personal Development – Ashley Tucker
Student Affairs next recognized the Indian Association of Students as this year’s Most Outstanding Student Organization. Notably, the organization was founded in Fall 2022, and has made significant strides to help establish community and connections with students on campus.
Student Affairs also recognized three phenomenal members of Saint Leo’s sororities and fraternities during the portion of the ceremony dedicated to Greek Life.
Panhellenic Council – Catherine Goodyear
Interfraternity Council – Joseph Stratis
Unified Greek Council – Gabrielle Wright
Gamma Upsilon Sorority was, additionally, named Greek Life’s Chapter of the Year.
Four final awards were presented by Student Affairs. The John I. Leonard General Excellence Award recognizes a graduating senior who embodies character, scholarship, leadership, service and excellence, while the Abbot Marion Bowman Activities Award recognizes a graduating senior who demonstrated outstanding participation and leadership in extracurricular activities. The Algernon Sydney and Mary Mildred Sullivan Awards honor two students who have demonstrated exceptional character and service to the community.
John I. Leonard General Excellence Award – Angelica Molina
Abbot Marion Bowman Activities Award – Sofia Cabrera
Mary Mildred Sullivan Award – Alora Peters
Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award – Reuel Belizaire
A full list of the resources provided by Saint Leo’s Department of Student Affairs can be accessed on their official website at https://www.saintleo.edu/student-experience/support/student-affairs. More information about student-led clubs, organizations, fraternities, sororities, and honors societies can be found on EngageLeo at https://saintleo.campuslabs.com/engage/.
