Student Academic, Service, and Leadership Awards Convocation
The Student Academic, Service, and Leadership Awards Convocation recognizes candidates for graduation who have flourished within the threefold purpose of the University as expressed in the preamble to the University’s mission statement: the encouragement of learning, the education of the whole person, and the service of faith and the promotion of justice. Student honorees have risen to the challenge of the Jesuit and Marymount traditions and have, by their example, enriched our educational community.
Senior Awards
Isabella Kaur Chhina
Class of 2025 Valedictorian
One student from the graduating class is chosen to say farewell on behalf of the graduating class on Commencement Day. The Valedictorian achieves a minimum 3.7 grade point average after at least sixty graded semester hours in residence at the university and is selected on the basis of a speech presented to the Valedictorian Selection Committee, a delegation of faculty, administration, and students representative of the university.
Elisabeth Annette Gothelf
University Scholar of the Year
This award is chosen from the College and School Scholars who entered the university as a first-year student and has achieved the highest grade point average and the most outstanding academic record of the Class of 2025. This is the most prestigious academic honor awarded to an undergraduate by LMU.
Michael Hennessy
The Ignatian Award
The Ignatian Award is a tradition shared by many Jesuit educational institutions. While each school chooses its own criteria and may offer the award to students, alumni, or even members of the greater community, the varying forms of the award are united by their function of recognizing outstanding service in the Jesuit tradition. LMU’s Ignatian Awardee is chosen out of the distinguished men who are awarded a Presidential Citation. The awardee has been selected by a committee of faculty and administrators for selfless service, ethical leadership, and academic excellence.
Stephanie Benson
The Marian Award
The Marian Award is a tradition unique to LMU overseen by members of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, the sisters affiliated with LMU through the merger with Marymount College. This award has evolved to complement the Ignatian Award by recognizing one woman amongst the Presidential Citation awardee who has proven to be a model of service, leadership, and academic achievement.
Julia Souza Ramos Novis
The Donald P. Merrifield, S.J. Intercultural Award
The Donald P. Merrifield, S.J. Award is given to the outstanding senior who has contributed to interculturalism on campus and beyond. Donald P. Merrifield, S.J., dedicated his life to this university. He diligently served as an agent of change and contributed substantially to the university's heritage of cultural consciousness and progressive social action.
Haley Grant and Haley Huntington
The Robert Graham, S.J. Alumni Award
The Robert Graham, S.J. Alumni Award is the most prestigious service and leadership award. It is named for Father Graham, a Jesuit, who was LMU alumni relations director for nearly 20 years. He is the founder of what is known today as the University Advancement. Conferred by the Alumni Association, the award is presented to two outstanding seniors who, during their tenure at the university, have excelled in areas of service and leadership.
Michael Hennessy
The James Loughran, S.J. Service Award
The James Loughran Award recognizes the outstanding senior who, during the course of his or her college tenure, has best exemplified the Jesuit and Marymount ideals of hard work and generosity and has made a significant impact in the local community, primarily through off-campus service.
Exodus Broussard
The Magis Award
Magis, which in Latin means “the more,” is a profound and deeply personal Jesuit concept. It embodies the act of discerning the best choice in a given situation, striving for the better, and seeking excellence. The Magis Award is a special and distinct honor that is not awarded each year. It is reserved for unique contributions to our community and often propelled by singular passion and grit.
Ananya Desai, McKenzie Reese, Sofia Rossi, and Kia Johnson
The Arrupe Award for Inclusive Excellence and Social Justice
The Arrupe awards are reserved for graduating seniors and graduate students who have shown a record of explicit work with issues related to inclusive excellence and social justice. The award is named in honor of Jesuit Superior General Father Pedro Arrupe, of the Society of Jesus, who worked tirelessly for the promotion of justice in the service of faith. The awardees are selected by the University Intercultural Council, who select students who demonstrate both robust academic achievement and outstanding contributions in inclusive excellence and social justice.
Program Scholars
The Program Scholars are recognized as having achieved the most outstanding academic records in their respective majors.
2025 Awardees
Lauren Marie Acevedo
Tommaso Baldineti
Warren Ryo Benavides
Warren Thomas Binder
Kyle Amdur Bloch
Eva Marie Bushnell
Gavin Sinclair Butts
Erin Rene Calder
Emily Jane Marie Camp
Shani Cassell
Trinity Jay Catlin
Lio Cerasi
Annika Chen
Megan Chen
Marissa Cueva
William Dayton
Maria Eduarda Alves Mesquita de Abreu
Rachel Burke Dennin
Lucille Angelique Durben
Frances Theodora Dygean
Gracie Lynne Edler
Cassandra Nicole Erickson
Naudia Rayona Evans
Milan Rhys Fillipi
Aria Gabrielle Fulton
Caley Victoria Garcia
Oscar Gonzalez
Elisabeth Annette Gothelf
Antonio Guereca
Peng Guo
Guillermo Noe Gutierrez
Michael Thomas Hennessy
Jessie Ann Hernandez
Holly Colleen Hinman
Grace Elizabeth Hodges
Ava Marie Hoeger
Mauricio Jauregui Alcala
Edward Madison Jones
Gregory Charles Jones
Jack Armond Kaloust
Laraib Jahangir Khan
Jillian Grace Kieran
Ashley Marie Kobylinski
Sophia Vitali La France
Natalie Kehaulani Lau
Grace Isabelle Laubach
Elise Lee
Katie Eunji Lew
Ren Lowe
Nathaniel James Luna
Elaina Olivia Maga
Izabel Goong-yee Mah y Busch
Ryan Alexander Maroun
Clare Murphy McGowan
Reese Carroll Aixin McNally
Sophie Paige Menendez
Shylah Hope Metter
Alexis Rose Musick
Jasmine Nichole
Mackenzie Nichols
Samuel McCall Nielsen
Kaya Faith O'Brien-James
Mary Helen O'Callaghan
Matthew Louis Parachou
Dariya Paull
Ethan Yates Peterson
Georgina Beatrice Pollard
Cleo Eileen Yi Qiao Pollinger
Tanya Rasheesa
Delphine Timothea Reis
Ryland Dex Repetti
Izabelle Viviana Romero
Sofia Marie Smith Rossi
Nicolas Otto Salkin
Coby Tyler Sanders
Anna Teresa Schmalz
Sabriya Ann Seid
Tucker Everett Somberg
Annika Tonnessen Spilde
Madison Julka Stanford
Yelyzaveta Tabachnik
Elaina Lorinn Taylor
Isabel Margaret Torres
Melissa Annet Vega
Estepani Venegas Martinez
Ann Louise Voelz
Emily Grace Ward
College and School Scholars
These scholars are determined to have the most rigor in their program while obtaining among the highest grade point averages within their respective colleges and schools.
2025 Awardees
Anna Teresa Schmalz - Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, The Erlandson Award
Sophia Vitali La France - College of Business Administration
Elisabeth Annette Gothelf - College of Communication and Fine Arts
Michael Thomas Hennessy - Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering, Engineering
Frances Theodora Dygean - Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering, Mathematics and Science
Sofia Marie Smith Rossi - School of Education, Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year
Izabelle Viviana Romero - School of Education, Undergraduate Scholar of the Year
Fenton E. Queens - School of Film and Television, Graduate Student of the Year
Emma Makena Mathews - School of Film and Television, Undergraduate Student of the Year
Presidential Citations
Presidential Citations are awarded by the president to the graduating seniors nominated by the academic community and selected by a committee of faculty and administration for outstanding academic record, leadership, and service. The awardees have earned this distinction by demonstrating their commitment to the university mission in their own unique ways, and they are all commended today for embodying the university’s goal to create “persons for and with others.”
2025 Awardees
Adeolu Adebiyi
Stephanie Benson
Simon Blaustein
Exodus Broussard
Lio Cerasi
Josiah Dallmer
Ananya Desai
Elisabeth Gothelf
Michael Hennessy
Hannah Heydon
Abigail Mora
Xion Nelson
Samuel Nielsen
Brooke Pegues
Cleo Pollinger
Izabelle Romero
Ethan Stabile
Molly Talbot
Christian Tejeda
Quintin Yates
Raymunde McKay, R.S.H.M. Award
Raymunde McKay, R.S.H.M., was the former president of Marymount College and her leadership was instrumental in the merger of Loyola University and Marymount College in 1973. This award is given in her honor and presented to graduating seniors in recognition of their outstanding leadership throughout their undergraduate careers.
2025 Senior Awardees
Lauren Acevedo
Brandon Bazile
Stephanie Benson
Caroline Bernal
Exodus Broussard
Marissa Cueva
Josiah Dallmer
Rachel Dennin
Charlie Green
Michael Hennessy
Haley Hogan
Arianna Jaurequi
Olivia Kelleher
Grace Larson
Michael Morrone
Julia Souza Ramos Novis
Brooke Pegues
Cleo Pollinger
Izabelle Romero
Quintin Yates
Alfred Kilp, S.J. Award
The Kilp Award is given to third-year students who, in the past year, have demonstrated a high degree of service and promise for continued involvement in co-curricular leadership.
2025 Junior Awardees
Mariah Allen
Naomi Alvarado
Noopur Barve
Ethan Carter
Yvette Castellanos
Zoe Chang
Paola Lopez De Cardenas
Jaden Drisdom
Alyssa Gutierrez
Clarke Hamilton
John Kassabian
Jakub Konieczny
Valentina Leiva
Sophia Levasseur
Sam Maradani
Elysia Molander
Kaitlin Pintens
Micaela Ravano
Juliana Roman
Joseph Slaybaugh
Hugo Tavares
Audrey Wood
Renee L. Harrangue, Ph.D. Award
Renee Harrangue, Ph.D., came to Marymount College in 1958. Her longstanding service to both Marymount College and LMU is varied and impressive. She was dean of Marymount College and served as the first provost of LMU, professor, and director of the Marymount Institute. This award honors the unique accomplishments of our second-year students and encourages their continued involvement in campus life, service, and leadership.
2025 Sophomore Awardees
Summer Alexander
Victor Caceres
Isaac Donado
Zane Flores
Precious Nyarko
Miranda Santoveña
Jadyn Sutton
Nicholas Taylor
Milka Zekarias
Peg Dolan, R.S.H.M. Award
Peg Dolan, R.S.H.M., served the LMU community for over 30 years, providing spiritual guidance and counseling to students, faculty, staff, and alumni as director of Campus Ministry, a resident chaplain, and as the alumni chaplain. The Peg Dolan, R.S.H.M. Award is given to first-year students who have demonstrated service, leadership, and exceptional promise to remain involved throughout their tenure at the university.
2025 First-Year Awardees
Elisabeth Adams
Zachariah Michelena
Ashley Moro
Alexis Segovia
Sabatino Stacchi
Student Life Awards
Julia Souza Ramos Novis
Ambassador of the Year
Celebrates the international character of our student body by recognizing the student whose contributions have advanced an awareness of the university's membership in the global community.
Maia Ward and Mathia (Mayi) Quimpo
Student Employee of the Year
This award recognizes a standout individual who has demonstrated exemplary performance, reliability, and initiative in their on-campus role. Through their hard work and commitment, they have made significant contributions to our campus community.
Arthur O’Neil
Fraternity Member of the Year
Recognizes one student for their contributions to the fraternity community for valued service within their chapter and exemplary leadership within the university community.
Avery Bielski, Delta Gamma
Alexandra Cheatham, Kappa Alpha Theta
Sorority Member of the Year
Recognizes two students for their contributions to the sorority community for valued service within their chapter and exemplary leadership within the university community.
Sophia La France, Pi Beta Phi
Interfraternal Scholar of the Year
Bestowed upon one student who has achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher and has made significant leadership contributions to the fraternity and sorority community.
Student EXP and Graduate Awards
Allusion Magazine
New Outstanding Organization of the Year
A new student organization that made positive contributions to the campus community and is a model for other organizations.
Brothers of Consciousness
Student Organization of the Year
A student organization that made positive contributions to the campus community and is a model for other organizations.
EurAsian Lions and Alona Gibson
Practice Ignatian Values Award
Words of Mouth and Jack (John) Shain
Integrate, Mind, Body, and Spirit Award
Counseling Graduate Student Association and Jasmine Nichole
Commit to Service and Justice Award
Horror House Theatre Club and Romeo Yotat
Become a Global Citizen Award
Enharmonic and Antonio Guereca
Live a Life of Purpose Award