Students Honored at 2022 Leadership and Excellence Awards Ceremony

Thursday, April 21, 2022
Senior Marshals with Dean James J. Valentini at the Leadership and Excellence Award Ceremony

Senior Marshals pose with Dean James J. Valentini at the Leadership and Excellence Award Ceremony

On April 13, more than 100 students were honored for their leadership and involvement on campus at the 2022 Leadership and Excellence Awards ceremony in Low Rotunda.

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 Innovation and Enhancement. In addition, students were recognized with Senior Marshal and Named Awards.

The 2022 Columbia College honorees are:

The King's Crown Leadership and Excellence Awards

Community Building

Recipients of this award have worked to create, establish, or strengthen a particular community at Columbia University. This may be accomplished through, but is not limited to, relationship-building, programming, fostering shared goals or purpose, or creating a vision for the future.

Sina Ahdoot CC'23
Matthew Chagares CC'22
Edna Egal CC'22
Kelsey Farkas CC'22
Alexis Florio CC'22
Haya Bilal Ghandour SEAS'22
Lilian Kennedy CC'22
Ethan Turok SEAS'23
Blanche Zhang CC'22
Matthew Zinman CC'22

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.

Afsana Ahmed CC'22
Tyler Campbell CC'22
Skylar Green CC'22
Alexander Ku SEAS'22
Jae Joon Lee CC'23
Maya Mitrasinovic CC'23
Chiamaka Okonkwo CC'23
Ariana Orozco CC'22
Hart Rapaport CC'22
Andrew Thomas CC'23

Inclusion and Advocacy

This award recognizes students who have promoted social justice and/or fostered understanding between diverse constituencies by valuing diversity and appreciating multiple identities.

Elina Arbo CC'22
Jaine Archambeau CC'22
Julieta Garcia CC'22
Hiba Hanoune CC'22
Eli Josephson Horgan CC'22
Adam Kluge CC'22
Renata Martinez CC'22
Joy Mobley CC'23
Benjamin Bortey Sango CC'22
Shane Spring CC'24
Laurelle Lee Young CC'22

Columbia Spirit

Recipients of this award demonstrate the best of Columbia spirit. This includes those who capture and display 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.

Sylvie Alexandra Binder CC'22
Aiman Walid Najah SEAS'23
Venice Ohleyer CC'22
Christian Rene Palomares CC'22
Joshua Smythe-Macaulay CC'22
Blessing Utomi CC'22
Tamarah Wallace CC'22

Indelible Mark

This award recognizes the accomplishments of students and groups who have implemented sustainable change for the benefit of our community and/or have left a lasting impression on the campus community.

Sarah Braka SEAS'22
Destiny Glover CC'22
Cecilia Kar Guan CC'22
Kimia Heydari CC'22
Colby Xzavier King CC'22
Krishna Menon CC'22
John Joseph Stankard CC'23
Prem Thakker CC'22
James Wang SEAS'22
Edgardo Zelaya CC'23

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 or group’s ability to establish an example for a healthy balance of responsibilities, duties, and activities through their own leadership.

Özgenur Çelik SEAS'22
Gurtej (TJ) Gill CC'22
Malik Hubbard SEAS'23
Ioana Teodora Lia CC'22
Grace Prochilo CC'22
Monique Slowly CC'22
Xavier Thibault CC'22

Principled Action

This award recognizes students who have demonstrated ethical decision-making and sound moral judgment, as well as fostering and encouraging similar actions in others.

Sofia Downing CC'24
Jacqueline Erler CC'22
Michael Fass CC'22
Justin Adam Ghaeli CC'22
Yilun (Bobby) Hua CC'23
Ahmet Cem Karadeniz SEAS'22
Jonathan Tanaka CC'23
Gilad Turok CC'23

Innovation and Enhancement

Recipients of this award have created, improved, or enhanced a service, program, or process that contributes positively to the Columbia campus and its diverse stakeholders.

Kalpana (Kal) Ganeshan SEAS'22
Eleanor Hansen CC'22
Lynne Irvin SEAS'22
Jayron Mardani CC'23
Rachel Ramenda CC'22
Red Stein CC'22
Daiki Tagami CC'22

Additional and Named Awards

View award descriptions.

Afsana Ahmed CC'22: Andrew C. Heinrich Prize
James Bourtis CC'22: Columbia College Scholar Athlete Award
Sofia Downing CC'24: Van Am Prize
Destiny Glover CC'22: Robert Shellow Gerdy Prize
Cecilia Kar Guan CC'22: Leonard A. Pullman Memorial Prize
Colby Xzavier King CC'22: Charles H. Bjorkwall Prize
Jae Joon Lee CC'23: Milch Prize
Hart Rapaport CC'22: Columbia College Campbell Award
Eden Olivia Rowe CC'24: Van Am Prize
Shane Spring CC'24: Van Am Prize
John Joseph Stankard CC'23: Robert Harron Award
Prem Thakker CC'22: Richard H. Fox Memorial Prize
Tamarah Wallace CC'22: Edward S. Brainard Memorial Prize

Class of 2022 Columbia College 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.

Anthony Adessa CC'22
Afsana Ahmed CC'22
Monique Benjamin CC'22
Sylvie Alexandra Binder CC'22
Taylor Brown CC'22
Tyler Campbell CC'22
Matthew Chagares CC'22
Noor Fatima CC'22
Alexis Florio CC'22
Kimia Heydari CC'22
Hoi Wan "Vanessa" Ho CC'22
Colby Xzavier King CC'22
Adam Kluge CC'22
Ioana Teodora Lia CC'22
Jordan Lu CC'22
Radhika (Rads) Mehta CC'22
Christian Rene Palomares CC'22
Isabelle Pride CC'22
Benjamin Bortey Sango CC'22
Wesley Schmidt CC'22
Prem Thakker CC'22
Xavier Thibault CC'22
David Wang CC'22
Laurelle Lee Young CC'22

View the full list of honorees.