Example Wildcat Impact Award Nomination
(student nominee’s name has been replaced with “student” to preserve confidentiality)
How has the individual or group demonstrated the value(s) that you selected in the most recent and current academic terms? Please provide specific examples.
"Student” is the outgoing Director of SHAPE, a peer education group on campus dedicated to addressing sexual health and sexual violence. "Student” has recognized this work is most effective through partnerships. Under "student”’s leadership, SHAPE has engaged in several collaborations to increase the impact of their facilitations. These include working with NUCNC, SPEAK for Change, MARS and the Block Museum. Each of these partnerships have led to unique opportunities to engage a wider community, while offering diverse perspectives on the impact of these issues.
"Student” leads with empathy and is able to model taking risks through vulnerability and relational connectedness. I have witnessed "student” lead meaningful dialogue with members of SHAPE around issues of sexual violence that are nuanced and address the disproportionate impact of those with intersecting marginalized identities. SHAPE members facilitate workshops on consent, healthy relationships and sexual health. They hold onto stories of harm and violence that they hear repeatedly from their peers as they present. As the Director, "Student”’s ability to hold space and support SHAPE members in this work, to sit with them as they work through grief and to help them integrate those feelings to create powerful facilitation with the NU community has been nothing short of remarkable.
Through "student”’s leadership of SHAPE, "student” has led an intentional and inclusive effort to increase and diversify membership as numbers dropped at the beginning of the pandemic. These efforts were well thought out and implemented with such care. "Student” was able to more than double the incoming number of new members (restoring the training class to pre-pandemic levels). Additionally this class represented the most diverse identities and backgrounds SHAPE has had in at least 5 years. Under "Student”’s guidance, inclusivity and inclusion remain the core of SHAPEs work, understanding that sexual violence and sexual health cannot be adequately addressed if we do not hold space for the conversations of how all identities are impacted. "Student” regularly models this conversation in SHAPE meetings and beyond as "student” addresses the impact of her own identities, while inviting others to do the same.
How has the individual or group surpassed typical expectations for their role on campus?
"Student” has put so much of herself into this work, into challenging the normalization of sexual violence through a variety of means, and through the values and behaviors already described. As students tried to rise above the impact of the pandemic the past year, "Student” became personally vested in helping SHAPE members find community and support. It was because of these efforts that SHAPE was able to continue offering presentations and resources to the greater NU community. It was because of these efforts that interest in SHAPEs work increased and more students wanted to join. "Student”’s compassion and integrity to lead SHAPE through the grief and uncertainty that the last year brought us has allowed them to continue their passion for the work.
Is there anything else you would like the Student Recognition Committee to know about your nomination?
Peer education is not easy but holds so many rewards. I have been honored to have worked in partnership with "student”. I witnessed how "student”’s leadership and guidance showed many of us that we can and will preserve, and that compassion is a key component.