Academic and Community Awards
Annual Academic and Community Awards | Paul Brest Hall @ 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 Ate (And Left No Crumbs). To match the theme of the event, please attend the ceremony in formal attire wearing red, blue, gold, or silver. 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
2024 Academic and Community Award Recipients!
- Superior Achievement - Presented to students who have earned between a 3.5 – 3.74 GPA for three consecutive quarters and maintained at least 12 letter graded units each quarter.
- Exceptional Achievement - Presented to students who have earned a 3.75 or higher GPA for two or three consecutive quarters and maintained at least 12 letter graded units each quarter.
- Crossfield, Black, and Coley Achievement - Presented to students who have earned at least a 3.5 GPA for six or more quarters and maintained at least 12 letter graded units each quarter.
Ria Khehar | The Shanta Annan Memorial Award: 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.
Megan Olomu | Condoleezza Rice Prize: 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.
Nitara Connally | BCSC Esteemed Scholar: 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
Kayla Myers and Matthew Onadeko | Mary and Jacquelyn Edmonds Prize: Selected by the Human Biology department, 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 prize.
Ijeoma Alozie and D’Andre Jorge | Mary and Jacquelyn Edmonds Prize: Selected by the Communications department, 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 prize.
Kristen Jackson | Vice Provost of Graduate Education & Black Community Services Center Distinguished Scholar Award: 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
Micah Drigo, Lenique Louis, Anya Nelson, and Alana Okonkwo | Black Diaspora Fellowship Recipient(s): 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.
Community Awards
Chiamaka Ogwuegbu | Ira D. Hall Service Award: Selected by the Black Community Services Center in consultation with Stanford Black Alumni, this award is presented to a Stanford alumnus under 30 years old, who has shown extraordinary commitment to social justice, community organizing, and public service in a local, national, and / or global context. This award is named after Ira D. Hall, a Trustee Emeritus of Stanford University
Brandon Tyler Francois | Harold K. Boyd Student Leadership Award: Selected by the Black Community Services Center, this award is presented in honor of Harold K. Boyd, Stanford University’s first Black Assistant and Associate Dean of Students. In recognition of his leadership, the award is presented to a senior with a 3.5 GPA or above who has held key leadership positions in one or more BVSOs and shown sustained commitment to the Black Community at Stanford
Community Awards determined by Vote
Nominees for the following awards are chosen by our student, faculty, and staff community. The nominating committee will review these nominations and determine the final winner of each award. The Academic Community Awards Committee is a part of the nominating committee.
Dr. Sarah Derbew | Dr. St. Clair Drake Teaching Award: 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
Ihsan Mekki | Professional Staff Mentor Award: 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
Nifemi Bankole | Frosh Award of Excellence: 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
Saron Demame Samuel (Undergrad) and Kay Barrett (Grad) | Student Organization Leadership Award: 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.
Mikayla Tillery (Undergrad) and Ramon Stephens (Grad) | Community Service Award: 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.
Destiny Kelly (Undergrad) and Cyan DeVeaux (Grad) | Arts Award: The Arts Award is presented to two students, an undergraduate and a graduate, who have excelled in practicing or researching area(s) of music, dance, theater 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.
“Fall Barbecue” by the East African Stanford Students Association (EASSA) | Best Program / Event of the Year Award: 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.
Xi Beta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated | BVSO of the Year Award: 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.