Vassar Honors Students Turning Community Engagement Into Social Impact
On Thursday, May 7, the Office for Community-Engaged Learning (OCEL) held its annual End-of-Year Party and Awards Celebration. Elizabeth Cannon, Director of Community-Engaged Learning, Teaching, and Scholarship, said the celebration “honored the many powerful ways Vassar students are transforming community work into lasting community impact through sustained engagement with local community partners.”
The student awardees, she said, are “those whose work shines with deep intellectual curiosity, meaningful community engagement, and an unwavering commitment to building more just and connected communities. Even in a time marked by significant challenges, their commitments point toward a hopeful and grounded future shaped by students who are boldly learning to engage the world with care, courage, and responsibility.”
Frances Aaron Hess ’53 Award
Angelina Guerra ’29 and William Martins ’26 were awarded the Frances Aaron Hess ’53 Award, which is presented to students who have made significant contributions as volunteers in the community beyond Vassar. Guerra received the award for her work in academic engagement and youth mentorship, and Martins for his commitment to cancer research and care.
“Being a voice in my community matters to me. As long as I [can] remember, finding needs greater than my own was always stressed by my parents,” Martins said. “Growing up, volunteering at a sports camp for blind children, or at an elderly home, brought me great joy and taught me how strong and connected a community can become when we don’t leave anyone behind.”
Wendy Rae Breslau Award
Ainsley (Lee) Carter ’28, Mayte Segura ’28, Sophia Varela ’28, Salma Muhammad Al-Sheabani ’28, and Kathy Lin ’28 were awarded the Wendy Rae Breslau Award, given to sophomores who exhibit outstanding concern and care for the welfare of others, either at or outside of Vassar. “Through my experiences managing a student-led food pantry in high school, interning at my hometown’s food bank last summer, being Vassar Hunger Action’s co-president, and interning with an educational nonprofit this year, I’ve found that nothing is more fulfilling to me than serving my community,” said Carter. “As an education major, I think that learning from and with your community is so crucial. It’s vital to get students engaged with their communities so that they can understand the real-world impact of the things they study, gain hands-on practical experience, and learn that they can be an agent of change.”
OCEL Social Justice Award
Calder Beasley ’26, Jazmine Williams ’26, Brooke Bassin ’28, and Shanti García ’28 earned the OCEL Social Justice Award for demonstrating compassion, courage, and leadership in their commitment to social justice and change. García, who has worked with a myriad of organizations including Mosaic, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Exodus Transitional Community, and the FLI Mentorship Program, said, “True engagement is collaborative and grounded in solidarity, recognizing that our struggles and triumphs are fundamentally interlinked. As an active member of this community, I believe in nurturing and building rather than extracting or exploiting.”
Helen Miringoff Prize
Kayla Hawkins ’27, Ava Zumpano ’27, Gordon Zhang ’26, and Nathaniel Dozier ’27 won the Helen Miringoff Prize in recognition of their community-engaged learning projects. Zhang’s work with the Dutchess County Department of Health on tick-borne disease education has made a meaningful impact on local public-health practice. “I am particularly drawn to issues of health disparities in minority and/or low-income communities, as I am a first-generation, low-income student with immigrant parents,” said Zhang. “I have seen firsthand the impact of health disparities on my family and community, and I hope to create an equitable health-care landscape that prioritizes the health of patients of all backgrounds.”
“There is power in our interconnectedness, and strength in our collective acts of care, resistance, and solidarity,” said Director Cannon. “One of the OCEL’s core values is critical joy. We invite you today to join us this afternoon in that spirit, to make space for reflection, gratitude, and celebration.”
