Vassar’s Office of Community-Engaged Learning Celebrates an Impactful Year With an End-of-Year Party and Awards Ceremony

“Our purpose is to celebrate our students’ commitment to justice and social change, and to honor our community partner organizations and their role as co-educators and collaborators,” said Elizabeth Cannon, Director of Community-Engaged Learning, who also acknowledged an incredibly challenging year, with “unimaginable threats to our democracy, repressions, and disregard for human rights. Also, funding cuts to programs that support the most marginalized communities and attacks at the very core values of equity and justice, particularly within higher education. In these times of uncertainty and fear, there is power in our interconnectedness and strength in our acts of resistance.”

The celebration honored recipients of the Helen Miringoff Award, Frances Aaron Hess ’53 Award, Wendy Rae Breslau Award, and OCEL Social Justice Award.

The Helen Miringoff Award

Goes to students whose community-engaged learning project or community involvement substantially contributed to an agency or community. This year’s recipients worked alongside community-based organizations, including those focusing on education, access, economic and racial justice, climate change, and public health.

Anna Kaigle ’25

Nominated by Local Motion, Kaigle’s project centered on creating a Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) GIS map. Through her research and analysis, Kaigle, a geography major, learned about best practices in roadway design for bike riders using the on-road sections of the Hudson Valley Greenway.

Jazmine Williams ’26

Nominated by the Mid-Hudson Antislavery History Project, Williams’s work includes collaborating with a Latina youth program and supporting the Oh, Freedom! Quilting Project. A history major and Hispanic studies minor, Williams supported intergenerational programming that allowed participants to translate their understanding of slavery and antislavery through quilting squares.

Naomi Blank ’26

Blank is a Chinese and Hispanic studies double major who was nominated by Conversations Unbound. She began as their Program Coordinator and progressed to the role of Spanish Language Team Liaison, working with teams from Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Mexico, and the U.S. She also mentors new volunteers.

Taison Jemison ’25

Nominated by ENJAN, a campaign to end mass incarceration, and the Brain and Body Coalition, focused on youth mental health, Jemison advocated for mental health, racial equity, and social justice. Jemison, a media studies major, served on a mental health panel and created accessible social media content that promoted mental health advocacy. He collaborated with residents to help end the era of mass incarceration in this country.

Madilyn Sandy ’25

Sandy, a double major in science, technology, and society; and environmental studies, was nominated by the American Lung Association. She played a vital role in supporting the New York State Children’s Asthma Initiative by strengthening community partnerships through asthma self-management education (ASME) programs and advocating for improving asthma health outcomes for the pediatric population through local legislation.

The Frances Aaron Hess ’53 Award

This honor is made possible by a gift from an alum who was a tireless volunteer in her community. These six students have been exemplary volunteers with various community organizations.

Simon Lewis ’25

An international studies major, Lewis volunteered at Poughkeepsie Middle School and Still Waters in a Storm, a reading and writing sanctuary for immigrant families. He spent a summer as a Community Fellow working alongside the Finish Strong Wellness Center. On campus, he joined the Engaged Pluralism working group Bridging Campus and Local Communities. He is the co-founder and leader of EngagePK, a student organization that works with various community organizations to support events and encourage students to explore the local community.

Sophie Mode ’25

Mode is an education and urban studies major. Since she was a freshman, she has worked with Arlington Partners Against Racism (ON PAR) from Community-Engaged Learning #290 to the Burnam Fellowship through the Career Center. Among many accomplishments, she served on the steering committee of ON PAR and is on the Executive Board of EngagePK, which connects community organizations to support their needs.

Shokria Rahimi ’26

Rahimi’s extensive list of accomplishments starts as a Vassar student studying applied mathematics while simultaneously studying electrical engineering at Dartmouth College. It continues as a volunteer interpreter for a newly resettled Afghan family in Poughkeepsie, helping them access healthcare, navigate social services, and adjust to their new environment. She also served as Vice President of Education for the Vassar Haiti Project and as the Social Chair for the Hami Student and Alumni Association.

Olivia Sparks ’26

Sparks is a double major in psychological science and Africana studies. She supports the Brain and Body Coalition team through initiatives like Breaking the Barriers of Stigma, In The Know, and Mental Health First Aid. She is an active member of the Black Student Union and the ALANA Center Clubs.

Ievgeniia Chyzhykova ’25

Chyzhykova co-founded the Vassar Alliance for Ukraine, which helps connect campus organizations and Hudson Valley communities with communities in Ukraine. She is also the president of the Vassar Business Club and treasurer of Vassar’s Coders, Hackers, and Designers (VC++). She graduated this year as a neuroscience and behavior major.

Valeriia Malykhina ’25

The co-founder of the Vassar Alliance for Ukraine, Malykhina helped to lead campus-wide initiatives, including academic panels with scholars focused on generating awareness for displaced people. With Chyzhykova, she organized and curated an art exhibition at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center to showcase Ukrainian artists. She double majored in economics and computer science.

The Wendy Rae Breslau Award

Provides an annual citation and prize to one or more students completing their sophomore year who, by their words and actions during the current year, have exhibited outstanding concern for the welfare and well-being of their peers and society in general.

Benjamin Garrity ’27

A religion major, Garrity is the Co-President of the Vassar Catholic Community. He builds spaces for worship and collaboration on campus and in Poughkeepsie. He organized an Ash Wednesday Iftar with the Muslim Student Association and co-led Vassar’s Interreligious Dialogue program.

Daniel Duque Hernandez ’27

Hernandez, a Latin American and Latinx studies major, has worked closely with displaced individuals, pairing them with students to improve their language skills and fostering meaningful cross-cultural exchanges. Hernandez’s other contributions include working with Vassar English Language Learners Outreach, Somos Vecinos, as a Ford Scholar, and as a First-Generation, Low-Income (FLI) student Leader.

Junhyeok (June) Park ’27

Park volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Dutchess County and, after his CEL placement ended, continued as a volunteer, contributing to research and producing pamphlets and voter guides on housing equity. Parks, a chemistry major, works with Vassar Hunger Action in his free time, stocking the Town Hall food pantry and with the Lunchbox Program.

OCEL Social Justice Award

Presented to students who have demonstrated compassion, courage, and leadership in social justice and social change. This award recognizes their activism and advocacy.

Taison Jemison ’25

This was an impressive second award of the evening for Jemison. A native of the Hudson Valley, Jemison said that this community means a lot to him, but he wants to do more than just inhabit the same spaces as other residents. His goals are to create deeper connections with local people and to build capacity and outreach with the organizations he has served.

Mirka Juarez ’26

Juarez worked alongside Hudson River Housing as a Community Development Intern. An international studies major, she was a member of the Latine Student Union and a peer mentor for Students Rising Above. She was also involved in co-creating the Community Wellness Fair, in partnership with the Dutchess County Department of Health.

Congratulations to all the recipients!