The 46th Annual Leadership Awards Ceremony was combined with the Student Organization Transition Ceremony for the first time.
The Pepsi Leadership Center organizes the Student Leadership Awards, which formally recognize leadership experiences happening on campus. The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) organizes the Transition Ceremony, which celebrates the transition of student organization officers from outgoing to incoming.
This year, Jessica Roshak, assistant director of student leadership development in CSI, and Joe Robinson, assistant director for campus connection and traditions in CSI, combined both ceremonies.
Roshak said the Pepsi Leadership Center recruits judges from across the Kent campus to have a variety of perspectives and job experiences review and score the nominees for the awards. The judges, composed of faculty, staff, a graduate student, and an undergraduate student, reviewed 195 submissions for the 12 awards.
“We want external voices and reviewers, so we have those different experiences and lenses looking at [the submissions],” Roshak said.
After the judges complete their scoring, the center averages the scores and recognizes the top three finalists and the recipient.
The individual awards include the Kent State Impact, the Nancy and John Scott Leadership Award, the Outstanding Senior Leader, the Peer Mentorship, the Purposeful Leader, the Servant Leader, the Unsung Hero, and the Vanguard for Change. The ceremony also includes advisor and organization awards, such as Advisor Excellence, Organization Excellence, Programming Excellence, and Service Excellence.
“The individual awards recognize specific individuals for their contributions. Some of them are making a difference on campus and taking leadership to the next level,” Roshak said. “There are wonderful things happening across campus. [The ceremony is] our way of saying thank you and appreciating them because it’s all hard work.”
Roshak said the Pepsi Leadership Center continues to organize the Student Leadership Awards because they believe that student leaders’ work can go unnoticed, and being able to recognize what these students are persevering with makes the campus a better place.
She added that well-known student leaders are recognized during the awards, but many times, the people who are the recipients or finalists of the awards are not the students that others hear about a lot.
The list of awardees of the 46th Annual Leadership Awards Ceremony includes:
Juliana Buonaiuto for the Kent State Impact,
Nathan Lennox for the Nancy and John Scott Leadership Award,
Penélope Cervantes for the Outstanding Senior Leader,
Hayden Cruz for the Peer Mentorship,
Kali Siembor for the Purposeful Leader,
Amaya Berry for the Servant Leader,
Grace Schick for the Unsung Hero,
Brian Johnson for the Vanguard for Change,
Nicole Kotlan, Ph.D., for the Advisor Excellence,
Spanish and Latine Student Association for the Organization Excellence,
Flash Activities Board for the Programming Excellence,
and Flashes Fighting Hunger for the Service Excellence.
“These people are working so tirelessly for their student organizations, on-campus jobs, or volunteering, and they don’t see their impact on other people,” Roshak said. “So, to see them hear the words that people wrote about them and register that they are making a difference, that’s what excites me about this event.”
Robinson oversaw the inaugural Student Organization Transition Ceremony in 2023. Roshak said it was created because students take on positions, volunteer their time, and dedicate their efforts to their organizations. Still, their work sometimes goes unnoticed once they get elected or selected for their roles.
“It’s a huge responsibility they take on, but seeing students’ investment in their organizations is inspiring,” Roshak said. “I’m happy that [the ceremonies are] coupled together this year because we’re celebrating what’s been done and what’s to come.”