Academic and Community Awards
Nominations are open for our 2024 Academic and Community Awards
Annual Acadmeic and Community Awards | Arrillaga Alumni Center in McCaw Hall & Ford Gardens @ 5pm
You're invited to celebrate Black Excellence with us!
Every year the Black Community Services Center hosts a ceremony celebrating the intellectual vitality, academic achievement, artistic expression, and community service of our students, faculty, alumni, and organizations. Our Academic and Community Awards enables us to recognize and say thank you to individuals and groups striving to make our community better. It's also an opportunity to recognize students who achieve a 3.5 or higher.
Our theme this year is Harmony and Life. To match the theme of the event, please attend the ceremony in semi-formal or formal attire wearing green or white with gold or flower accents. We look forward to celebrating with you all! Please take advantage of this opportunity to dress fancily and bask in the joy of Black excellence!
2023 Academic and Community Awards Slideshow
2023 Academic and Community Award Recipients!
The Shanta Annan Memorial Award (2023 Recipient: Grace MacQueen Turner): Selected by The Program in African and African American Studies, The Shanta Annan Memorial Award is given for outstanding performance by a Freshman in an African and African American Studies Course at Stanford University. Shanta Annan was an outstanding freshman. Prior to her passing in the Fall 2004 in her Freshman year, she made a significant impact on the lives of students, faculty, and staff with whom she had connected. This award honors her memory and talent.
Condoleezza Rice Prize (2023 Recipient: Gabrielle “Gabby” Crooks, International Relations): Selected by the Black Staff Alliance, this award is presented to a woman senior student for outstanding academic achievement in public policy, international relations, or political science. The Black Staff Alliance (fr. African American Staff Group) created this award when Rice departed Stanford for the White House. The student will receive a $200.00 prize.
BCSC Esteemed Scholar (2023 Recipient: Malaysia Atwater, Political Science): Selected by the BCSC, this award is presented to a graduating student who holds a 3.9 and above GPA and has also engaged in research during their tenure at Stanford
Mary and Jacquelyn Edmonds Prize ( 2023 Recipients | Human Bio: Lingarbel Brempong & Grace Adebogun / Communication: Jada Hallman): Selected by the Human Biology and Communications departments, this award. is presented to one outstanding student majoring in Human Biology and another majoring in Communication. This award is made possible by a generous donation from Mary Edmonds, former Vice Provost for Student Affairs and her daughter Jacquelyn Edmonds. Recipients will receive a $200.00 scholarship.
Vice Provost of Graduate Education & Black Community Services Center Distinguished Scholar Award (2023 Recipient: Matt Randolph): Selected by the Black Community Services Center and Vice Provost of Graduate Education, this award is presented to a graduate student who has demonstrated exceptional academic and intellectual achievement through cutting edge research in a particular field of study. The ideal candidate for this award represents scholarly excellence at Stanford and serves as an academic role model to fellow students
Black Diaspora Fellowship Recipient(s) (2023 Recipients | Kallie White (Political Science), Ella Baker Center for Human Rights / Lizbeth Zambrano-Sanchez (Earth Systems), Californians United for a Responsible Budget: Selected by the Black Community Services Center and the Haas Center for Public Service partnership, this fellowship enables students to participate in a practicum working with a nonprofit organization or government agency on social, political and/or economic issues affecting Black American communities. Students will have an in-depth learning experience that will foster an opportunity to apply what they have learned in and out of the classroom about race, diversity, equity and social justice. The Black Diaspora Fellows spend a summer working full-time with a supervisor/mentor in a community organization of their choice.
Dr. St. Clair Drake Teaching Award (2023 Recipients: Harriet Jernigan & Michele Elam): This award is presented to a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in teaching. The ideal candidate for this award has inspired students intellectually and demonstrated a commitment to enhancing the intellectual vitality / academic environment of the Black community.
Professional Staff Mentor Award (2023 Recipient: Rev. Dr. Sakeena Young-Scaggs): This award is presented to a professional staff member or administrator who has provided outstanding support for students through advising, mentoring, coaching and or research.
Frosh Award of Excellence (2023 Recipient: Gordon Allen): This award is presented to a Frosh that has demonstrated commitment to the Black community via activities including but not limited to: participating in BVSO’s, dorm council, service learning, and/or mentorship.
Student Organization Leadership Award (2023 Recipients: Tyson Thomas & Kristen Jackson (Grad)): This award is presented to two students, an undergraduate and a graduate, who have shown exceptional leadership within their student organizations. Ideal candidates for this award are those students who have taken on various leadership roles within their organization and / or have made innovative changes in order to help their organization make a positive impact on Stanford’s Black community.
Community Service Award (2023 Recipients: Emily Nichols & Kemi Oyewole (Grad)): This award is presented to two students, an undergraduate and a graduate, who have demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to public service. Ideal candidates for this award have dedicated time and energy to community service endeavors that have made positive contributions to individuals and / or organizations.
Arts Award (2023 Recipients: Sky Walker & Jessica Monette (Grad)):This award is presented to two students, an undergraduate and a graduate, who have excelled in the area(s) of music, dance, theatre and / or visual arts. An ideal candidate for this award is someone who has pronounced dedication to the arts and has freely shared their talent to enhance the Black Community or represent the community in a positive way.
Best Program / Event of the Year Award (2023 Recipient: "Thump Off Thursdays" Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Nu Sigma Chapter): This award is presented to a Black Volunteer Undergrad and/or Graduate Student Organization that has demonstrated exceptional collaboration skills on a program or event. Ideal candidates for this award have not only contributed financially to an event, but all groups worked together consistently from creation, coordination, and execution of the event.
BVSO of the Year Award (2023 Recipient: Stanford Black Student Union): This award is presented to a Black Volunteer Undergrad and/or Graduate Student Organization that has executed consistent quality programming that has impacted the community in a significant and / or unique way. Ideal nominees are organizations with consistent excellence in programming and / or organizations that have shown great improvement.