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
Mariah Renee Allen
Class of 2026 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.
Sadie Ann Nanson
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 2026. This is the most prestigious academic honor awarded to an undergraduate by LMU.
Mariah Renee Allen
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 distinguished students 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.
Alyssa Isabella Rodriguez
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 students amongst the Presidential Citation awardee who has proven to be a model of service, leadership, and academic achievement.
Valentina Leiva
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.
Juliana Roman and Kaitlin Pintens
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.
Joseph Slaybaugh
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.
Thomas Klapp and Valentina Leiva
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.
Jenna Avani Ellinghuysen, Molly Louise Robison, MyLék JaJa McDowell, and Jasmine Cherelle Davis
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.
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.
2026 Awardees
Zela Al-Asadi - LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts
Thomas Etienne Robert Bonteil - LMU School of Film and Television
Megan Rene Chavira - LMU School of Education
Athena Lauren Cheris - LMU School of Film and Television
Angelica Marie Crawford - LMU School of Education
Nelson Johnston Lincecum - LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering
Jacqueline Meyer Maher - LMU College of Business Administration
John Lewis Mullin - LMU College of Business Administration
Sadie Ann Nanson - LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts
Michael Robert Navarrete - LMU College of Business Administration
Marcela Alejandra Alfaro Tavera - LMU College of Business Administration
Cecilia Jessica Zaragoza - LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering
Program Scholars
The Program Scholars are recognized as having achieved the most outstanding academic records in their respective majors.
2026 Awardees
Mariah Renee Allen
Zainab Ahmed Alsaffar
Charles Caleb Alvidrez
Kenna Becker
Ayden McKenzie Brown
Kayleigh Rose Bullon
Eva Jacqueline Chahbazian
Margaret Providence Chaney
Sophia Beatriz Chavez
Sophia Isabella Chavez
Megan Rene Chavira
Athena Lauren Cheris
Nikki Celina Chun
Ireland Kate Conti
Angelica Marie Crawford
Ornella Pina Sorstayn Darcyl
Owen R. Daulton
Elizabeth Paige Davis
Jay Singh Dillon
Matthew David Jeffery DuBois
Emily Ann Ede
John Paul Farrell
Keven Saul Ferman
Toma Loren Frank
Makenzie Dallas Ganje
Lisette Magali Gonzalez
Karen Medrano Gonzalez
Isabelle Angele Gourrier
Jennifer Gracian
Clarke Peyton Hamilton
Forrest Hanson
Bradley Eugene Haskell
Laura Gabrielle Haushalter
Jeremy Lee Hughes
Arianna Gabrielle Jackson
Viraj Vipul Jain
Hikaru Ken Kasai
John Joseph Kassabian
Charles Sik Kim
Megan Taylor Kobayashi
Samantha Rachel Kollar
London Rose Koprowski
Antonio Enrique Lara
Nelson Johnston Lincecum
Brenda Luna
Felicia Madrigal
William Maher
Leo Sebastian Maldonado
Aayshabanu Aabidhusen Malek
Milla Penelope Markovic
Javier Martinez-Velazquez
Maria Asuncion Nsue Maye
Erin Kate Miyahara
Chester Joseph Mlcek-Sauvage
Roseshel Scott Mock
Jaden Edgar Faigao Montesa
Jason Michael Montoya
Giselle Angela Morales
John Lewis Mullin
Sadie Ann Nanson
Rita Nicole Nourian
Maxwell James Page
Kanna Jo Parker
Jacob James Parker
Alexandria Perez
John Robert Pietrusiak
Sara Alejandra Rebolledo
Min Yang Joe Ren
Jude Peter Rhoa
Emily Leona Rose
Julia Marie Rowe
Estela Ruezga
Julia Diane Sawtell
Cameron Hiroki Scolari
Rachael Saba Shabanian
Justin Shelton
Gabrielle Nicole Sigrist
Rebekah Walendzak Slepski
Caitlynn Ciera Smith
Kiko Mathews Sweeney
Valentina M. Traina
Elle Annabelle Triem
Isaiah James Tyler
Jacob Christopher Walter
Louis Yi-Shian Wang
Darian Renee White
Brandi J’oi Williams
Kyle Donald Wright
Alisa Yamamoto
Cecilia Jessica Zaragoza
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.”
2026 Awardees
Mariah Renee Allen
Noopur Abhijit Barve
Yvette Celeste Castellanos
Jenna Avani Ellinghuysen
Stephanie Abigail Flores
Makenzie Dallas Ganje
Clarke Peyton Hamilton
Laura Gabrielle Haushalter
John Joseph Kassabian
Andrew Kim
Yasmin Kim
Valentina Leiva
Andrea Aurora Colette Payre Madrigal
Samyuta Maradani
Sadie Ann Nanson
Kaitlin Marie Pintens
Mateo-Luis Alicea Planas
Alyssa Isabella Rodriguez
Hugo Tomas Louriceira Tavares
Valentina M. Traina
Nkechinyere Jennifer Uchendu
Logan Alexander Venhoff
Cheyenne Roni Wahlheim
Audrey Ann Emily Wood
Cecilia Jessica Zaragoza
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.
2026 Senior Awardees
Alexis Nagler
Allegra Coleman
Alyssa Gutierrez
Alyssa Rodriguez
Arye Mindell
Ashley Lee
Audrey Wood
Colin Kim
Danielle Kent
D'Anthony Yates
Elysia Molander
Ethan Carter
Evan Wu
Jaden Drisdom
Jenna Ellinghuysen
John Kassabian
Keona Munowenyu
Lacy Green
Mariah Allen
Marisa Gomez
Noopur Barve
Ravi Lal
Richard Rimlinger
Sabrina Segura
Sadie Nanson
Samyuta Maradani
Sophia Ordubegian
Thomas Rife
Valentina Leiva
Yasmin Kim
Yvette Castellanos
Zoe Chang
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.
2026 Junior Awardees
Amelia Aquipel
Bennett Kim
Christopher Melchor
Elena Andrews
Elias Lee
Emma Gustad Myklebust
Gabriel Golomb
Isaac Donado
Jadyn Sutton
Matthew Ochoa
Milka Zekarias
Nadia Bernal
Natalie Roberts
Stephanie Law
Sydney Lee
Victor Caceres
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.
2026 Sophomore Awardees
Alexis Segovia
Brooklynn Carter
Connor Schmit
Elisabeth Adams
Emily Hernandez
Grace Ehlers
Nyah Rosado
Sabatino Stacchi
Sebastian Salazar
Taylor Person
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.
2026 First-Year Awardees
Alaina Lee
Brody Sasena
Elizabeth Kiralla
Felix Fuglei
Reese Whitman
Student Life Awards
Valentina Leiva
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.
Andreas Infante and Wilson Chatham
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.
Julian Reed, Beta Theta Pi
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 Glynn, Delta Gamma
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.
John Mullin, Phi Delta Theta
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.
Lauren Martino, Ice Hockey Club
Alexander Kochoa, Rowing Club
Club Sports Female and Male Athlete of the Year
The Club Sports Athlete of the Year demonstrates outstanding athletic ability and talent in their respective sport.
Sorin Thompson, Rowing Club
Club Sports Officer of the Year
The Club Sports Officer of the Year shows outstanding leadership qualities that have significantly contributed to their individual club and the development of the Club Sports program.
Lauren Martino, Ice Hockey Club
Club Sports Lion Leadership Award
Women's Rugby Club
Club Sports Team GPA Award
The Club Sports GPA Award goes to the Club Sports team with the highest average grade point average from the fall semester.
Rowing Club
Club Sports Club of the Year
Ellie Davis, Women's Beach Volleyball and Tommaso Baldineti, Men's Water Polo
Dr. William Husak Scholar-Athlete Award
Student EXP and Graduate Awards
Central American United Student Association
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.
Black Student Union
Student Organization of the Year
A student organization that made positive contributions to the campus community and is a model for other organizations.
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Richard Estrella
Practice Ignatian Values Award
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Seth Saunooke
Integrate, Mind, Body, and Spirit Award
Counseling Graduate Student Association and Séamus O'Ryan
Commit to Service and Justice Award
Gryphon Circle Service Organization and Charles Alvidrez
Become a Global Citizen Award
Black Graduate Student Association - Imani and Reed Maruyama
Live a Life of Purpose Award