Student Life hosted the annual Student Luminary Awards reception at the Willa Cather Dining Complex on April 17. Twelve University of Nebraska–Lincoln students — nine undergraduates and three graduate students — were recognized in three award categories.
Ten students received the Student Luminary Award in recognition of exceptional leadership and extraordinary commitment to the campus or community. One student was honored with the Alex Kearns Memorial HOPE Award in recognition of exceptional leadership and extraordinary commitment to mental health and suicide prevention. One student received the inaugural Vice Chancellor’s Pinnacle Award for Student Leadership, which recognizes exceptional leadership that elevates and inspires the campus community.
Each student was nominated by a faculty or staff member on campus and received $1,000.
“Every year, the Student Luminary Awards give us a chance to celebrate students who lead with heart, purpose, and a commitment to making a difference,” said Vice Chancellor for Student Life Dr. Dee Dee Anderson. “These honorees are not just excelling, but they are also helping build a stronger, more connected campus community. We are proud to recognize their impact and the ways they inspire others around them.”
One staff member was also awarded the James V. Griesen Exemplary Service to Students Award. Established in 1986, this award recognizes faculty or staff members who go beyond the performance of their assigned work, devoting extra time and effort to serving the needs of students. The award includes a $1,500 stipend. The award is named for Dr. James V. Griesen, who served for 20 years as the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
This year’s award honorees are:
Student Luminary Awards
Amisha Subedi
Subedi is a junior political science major in the College of Arts and Sciences from Omaha. Subedi is minoring in criminal justice and communication.
Brittani Perez
Perez is a senior from Scottsbluff majoring in English and criminology and criminal justice, majors in the Arts and Sciences and Public Affairs and Community Service colleges. Perez is also minoring in Indigenous studies and Spanish.
Carla Cardenas
Cardenas is a senior elementary education major in the College of Education and Human Sciences. She is from Fallbrook, California.
Drake Hermanson
Hermanson is a senior software engineering major in the College of Engineering. He is from Atlanta.
Katelyn Billups
Billups is a senior biochemistry major in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources from Topeka, Kansas. She is also majoring in anthropology.
Laila Doyle
Doyle is a senior nutrition and health sciences major in the College of Education and Human Sciences from Edmund, Oklahoma. She is also a humanities in medicine minor.
Lilly Brown
Brown is a senior communication studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences from Omaha. She is minoring in anthropology.
Maathir Basi
Basi is a junior psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences from Lincoln. Basi is minoring in positive psychology and wellbeing.
Jacob Abaare
Abaare is a graduate student studying electrical engineering in the College of Engineering. He is from Tamale, Ghana.
Jerome Okojokwu-Idu
Okojokwu-Idu is a graduate student studying climate assessment and impact in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. He is from Lincoln.
Alex Kearns Memorial HOPE Award
Jace Meunier
Meunier is a graduate student studying educational psychology in the College of Education and Human Sciences. He is from Lincoln.
Vice Chancellor’s Pinnacle Award for Student Leadership
Libby Wilkins
Wilkins is a senior agricultural leadership, education and communications major in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources from Ainsworth. She is also working toward an Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship minor.
James V. Griesen Award for Exemplary Service to Students Award
Selma De Anda Gallegos
Gallegos is an academic navigator for Undergraduate Education & Student Success.
