On April 14, Le Moyne’s student leaders were celebrated at the annual Dolphins Choice Awards to commemorate their hard work making campus a better place through volunteer and club work.
In the decked-out DoubleTree Hotel in Syracuse, students were treated to dinner, dessert, and live music while host Jeffry Mateo entertained the crowd and introduced the winners with the help of fellow faculty.
“It was my first year at the Dolphin’s Choice Awards so I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was happily surprised,” says Navroop Kaur, a junior biology major. “It was a happy and cheerful atmosphere and I’m glad students got this opportunity to enjoy themselves and celebrate their accomplishments.”
Navroop was one of several winners and took home the Matteo Ricci, S.J., Award for Achievement in Diversity, granted to her by Joyce Suslovic, a longtime mentor of Navroop who nominated her for her creation of First Gen Club and her ongoing commitment to inclusion at Le Moyne.
“Winning an award this year was beyond incredible and shocking,” Navroop says. “I am grateful to my advisor, Ms. S, for nominating me and presenting the award. It was amazing to be recognized but even better to see how proud everyone was of their accomplishments and to be a part of it. It makes you realize that all this work we put in pays off and positively affects our campus.”
Daniella Padinha, a junior communications major, attended the awards as a member of the Le Moyne Student Dance Company, which took home the Award for Excellence in Visual and Performing Arts.
“It was actually really nice to be recognized for that. I feel like the arts are very important to all of us in the dance company,” Daniella says.
Though not everyone in the crowd received an award, each student played an integral role in the campus community this year, whether through serving on e-boards or volunteering their time. Without the tenacity of these Dolphins, Le Moyne wouldn’t be the same. To those on the fence about getting involved, Navroop’s advice is “not to be intimidated by the work or obstacles. If you want something bad enough, you should definitely go for it because in the end, one way or the other, it will pay off.”
This year’s awardees:
· Club President of the Year Award – Corinne Becker
· Beth Scanlon Humanitarian Award – Emily Murphy
· Club of the Year Award – Rock Climbing Club
· Moderator of the Year Award – Katie Compagni
· Inspiring Dolphin Award – Olivia Snell
· Dolphin Spirit Award – Hamza-Omar Hassan
· Matteo Ricci, S.J., Award for Achievement in Diversity – Navroop Kaur
· Wellness Champion Change Agent Award – April Wright
· Outstanding Senior Leadership Award – Courteney Conway
· New Club of the Year Award – Caribbean Culture Club
· Club Sport Athletic Player of the Year Award – Nicholas Rohrbacher
· Award for Excellence in Visual and Performing Arts – Le Moyne Student Dance Company
· Magis Award in Leadership – Legende McGrath
· Cura Personalis Award in Student Development – Génesis de María Contreras
