Columbia College Senior Marshals at the Leadership and Excellence Award Ceremony.
Diane Bondareff
On April 24, nearly 100 students were honored for their leadership and involvement on campus at the 2024 Leadership and Excellence Awards ceremony in the Presidential Ballroom at Faculty House.
The annual awards recognize Columbia College and Columbia Engineering students’ significant contributions to the Columbia community. Awards were presented across eight categories: Community Building, Civic Responsibility, Inclusion and Advocacy, Columbia Spirit, Indelible Mark, Health and Wellness, Principled Action, and Emerging Leader. In addition, students were recognized with Senior Marshal and Named Awards.
2024 Leadership and Excellence Awardees:
Health and Wellness
Recipients of this award best exemplify the spirit of caring for and about the members of our vast and diverse community. A special focus is placed on the individual/group’s ability to establish an example for a healthy balance of responsibilities, duties and activities through their own leadership.
- Hadeel Abdul-Rehman SEAS’24
- Michelle Cristina Aude CC’25
- Dean Babb CC’24
- S. Lloy V. Hack CC’25
- Simon Omoniyi Ogundare CC’24
- Spencer Robbins SEAS’25
- Kate Tadeo CC’24
- Anne Marie Walsh CC’24
- Joanna Wang CC’25
- Aunika Zheng SEAS’24
Civic Responsibility
Recipients of this award best promote civic engagement, responsible citizenship and global citizenship. This includes both on-campus and off-campus activities, initiatives and service.
- Alisha Arshad CC’24
- Cindy Gao CC’24
- Angel Rose Latt CC’24
- Glynis O'Meara CC’25
- Stella Hayoung Park SEAS’24
- Matthew Ruppert CC’24
- Irie Sentner CC’24
Columbia Spirit
Recipients of this award capture and display the best of Columbia spirit. This includes the essence of “school spirit” and pride as a dedicated member of our community, as well as leaders and groups that contribute to local, regional and national recognition for sports, performance, cultural and arts activities, and academic competition.
- Emma Grace Babashak SEAS’24
- Anabelle Brodeur CC’24
- Noelle DeMarinis CC’25
- MeiMei Elizabeth Graber CC’24
- Abbey Hsu CC’24
- Maryam Pate CC’24
- Ryan Puterbaugh CC’24
- Anna Shampanier-Bowen CC’24
- Sarah Silverman CC’24
- Rebecca Smith CC’24
Emerging Leader
Recipients of this award have demonstrated a commitment to leadership and service early in their Columbia journey. Emphasis is placed on students who have taken on advanced responsibility, supported their community as a peer leader or otherwise excelled before it was expected of them. While seniors may be considered, the focus of this award is on first-years, sophomores and juniors.
- Ileane Barrera CC’26
- Samuel A. Cano Cabrera CC’26
- Naomi India Flowers CC’26
- Hayoung Jin SEAS’25
- Josiah Dali Keys CC’26
- Manuella Kwawu SEAS’26
- Ariana Neal CC’26
- Ana Ramos De Jesus CC’25
- Sophia Sorid CC’26
Community Building
Recipients of this award have worked to create, establish or strengthen a particular community at Columbia. This could be accomplished through, but is not limited to, relationship building, programming, shared goals or purpose, or creating a vision for the future.
- Aaliyah Benjamin-Roach SEAS’24
- Alan Chen CC’25
- Kristal Du CC’24
- Yusuf Hafez SEAS’24
- Hope Hersom SEAS’25
- Sungyoon Lim CC’24
- Minju O’Rourke SEAS’25
- Shane Spring CC’24
- Collin J. Woldt CC’2
Indelible Mark
This award recognizes the accomplishments of students and groups in implementing sustainable change for the benefit of our community and/or in leaving a lasting impression on the campus community.
- Eva Brander Blackhawk CC’24
- Priya Chainani CC’24
- Kaya Dorogi SEAS’24
- Marie Fadeyeva CC’24
- Allison Hess CC’25
- Victor Jandres Rivera CC’24
- Theodore Nelson CC’24
- Donna Jiajia Qi CC’24
- Maya Walker SEAS’24
- Matthew Werneken SEAS’24
Inclusion and Advocacy
This award recognizes students who have promoted social justice and/or fostered understanding between diverse constituencies through valuing diversity and appreciating multiple identities.
- Halil Cenker Camci CC’25
- Changu Nan’gandu Chiimbwe CC’24
- Gloria Choi CC’24
- Alice Diakova SEAS’24
- Elaje López CC’24
- Olivia Mary Sieler CC’24
- Mrinalini Sisodia Wadhwa CC’24
- Munirat Suleiman CC’24
- Kosisochukwu Ugorji SEAS’24
Principled Action
This award recognizes students who have demonstrated ethical decision-making and sound moral judgment, as well as fostering and encouraging similar actions from others.
- Andrei Coman SEAS’24
- Zoe Davidson CC’24
- Cameron Grant CC’24
- Joachim Jose Rillo CC’24
- Aiden Frederick Sagerman CC’24
- Claire Schnatterbeck CC’24
- Josephine Watkins SEAS’25
- Jackson Weinberger CC’24
Additional and Named Awards
Columbia College
- Alisha Arshad CC’24: Robert Lincoln Carey Memorial Prize
- Halil Cenker Camci CC’25: Milch Prize
- Samuel A. Cano Cabrera CC’26: Van Am Prize
- Alan Chen CC’25: James Christopher Caraley Memorial Prize
- Farihah Chowdhury CC’24: Charles H. Bjorkwall Prize
- Julian R. Infante Laborde CC’25: Robert Harron Award
- Josiah Dali Keys CC’26: Van Am Prize
- Angel Rose Latt CC’24: Leonard A. Pullman Memorial Prize
- Ariana Neal CC’26: Van Am Prize
- Theodore Nelson CC’24: Charles M. Rolker Prize
- Paige Nurkin CC’24: Columbia College Scholar Athlete Award
- Kairaluchi Oraedu CC’24: Edward S. Brainard Memorial Prize
- Donna Jiajia Qi CC’24: Richard H. Fox Memorial Prize
- Lamiya Rahman CC’24: Andrew C. Heinrich Prize
- Sadia Safa CC’24: Alumni Prize
- Shane Spring CC’24: Alumni Association Achievement Award
- Munirat Suleiman CC’24: Robert Shellow Gerdy Prize
Columbia Engineering
- American Society of Civil Engineers: Zvi Galil Award for Improvement in Engineering Student Life
- Yusuf Hafez SEAS’24: Thomas “Pop” Harrington Medal
- Columbia Space Initiative: Outreach Mission: Robert D. Lilley Award for Socially Responsible Engineering
- Sameer Saxena SEAS’24: School of Engineering and Applied Science Scholar Athlete Award
- Kosisochukwu Ugorji SEAS’24: School of Engineering and Applied Science Student Activities Award
- Matthew Werneken SEAS’24: Campbell Award
- Aunika Zheng SEAS’24: Jaffe Prize
Class of 2024 Senior Marshals
Senior Marshals are outstanding students who have a record of contributing to their class, school and/or community and best represent what it means to be a Columbian. Senior Marshals lead their class into Class Day ceremonies and are distinguished by a gold aiguillette that adorns their robe. Senior Marshal honorees have been nominated to represent their class by a member of the Columbia University community.
- Alisha Arshad CC’24
- Aaliyah Benjamin-Roach SEAS’24
- Tycho Bogdanowitsch SEAS’24
- Eva Brander Blackhawk CC’24
- Priya Chainani CC’24
- Theodore Chow CC’24
- Farihah Chowdhury CC’24
- Marie Fadeyeva CC’24
- Yusuf Hafez SEAS’24
- Jiale Han SEAS’24
- Clara Amanda Hu CC’24
- Sydney Chawon Lee CC’24
- Paige Manning CC’24
- Theodore Nelson CC’24
- Elizabeth Olcese CC’24
- Chukwuma Orji CC’24
- Stella Hayoung Park SEAS’24
- Donna Jiajia Qi CC’24
- Lamiya Rahman CC’24
- Evelyn A. Reyes CC’24
- Sadia Safa CC’24
- Anna Shampanier-Bowen CC’24
- Jessica Shi SEAS’24
- Olivia Mary Sieler CC’24
- Sarah Silverman CC’24
- Shane Spring CC’24
- Munirat Suleiman CC’24
- Teodora Sutilovic SEAS’24
- Kosisochukwu Ugorji SEAS’24
- Luiza Diniz Vilanova CC’24
- Maya Walker SEAS’24
- Joshua Yu CC’24