George Washington University students made their way into the University Student Center (USC) Wednesday afternoon to take part in community and fun in between classes to celebrate GW’s Day of Excellence.
The event, which is hosted by the Office of Student Life, is a complement to the annual Excellence in Student Life Awards. The awards are a way to honor individuals and student groups that work tirelessly to make campus life at GW inviting and enjoyable for all.
The Day of Excellence celebration was held at the Great Hall and Columbian Square on the first floor of the USC. The space was decorated with white and pink balloons and cherry blossoms and students were invited to enjoy free snacks and drinks while taking part in crafts and other activities with their friends.
Mackenzie Gan, a first-year student studying international affairs, said she stopped by the event with her friends after noticing the decorations in the USC.
“And any time you walk through the student center, and you hear music, you know there's going to be fun stuff to do,” Gan said. “I get to see fellow GW students at a place that I normally wouldn't. So, I feel it's a good way to bring people together that you might not cross paths with every day.”
Students stopped by the booths to do crafts like friendship bracelet making, origami folding or crafting gratitude jars.
Amari Sharma, another first-year student also studying international affairs, stopped by the booth that allowed students to send anonymous compliments to their friends.
“I sent my friends compliments. It’s just something small that can make their day better,” Sharma said. “There are a lot of different activities going on, which is really nice because we just came from class, and it is a nice way to de-stress.”
Some students took their crafts outside to enjoy the nice weather and visit the Kona Ice truck.
The event also featured the names of students, faculty and staff who received awards.
The winners of the Baer Award for Individual Excellence in the GW Community were Amina Iman, Demetrius Apostolis, Evelyn Elliott and Arielle Geismar.
Other individuals recognized through the Excellence in Student Life Awards include:
- Asiyah Ball won the MLK Jr. Undergraduate Award
- Axana Soltan won the MLK Jr. Graduate Award
- Theodore Quan won the MLK Jr. Staff Award
- Amil Agarwal won the Graduate Award for Individual Excellence
- Ava Ahner won the Marc A. Zambetti Award for Intramural Excellence
- Jorge Sanchez won the Mount Vernon Award
- Melina Recarey won the Outstanding Service Graduate Award
- Lilian Martinez Orellana won the Outstanding Service Undergraduate Award
- Margaret Korinek won the Student Organization Member of the Year Award
- Celia Peña-Gomez won the The George Washington Award
- Sean Watley won the Robert Chernak Award for Staff Member of the Year
- Sanjay Pandey won the Honey Nashman Spark a Life for Faculty Member of the Year
- Reggie Jaramillo won the 9/11 Memorial Scholarship for Public Service
The following groups were also recognized for their service to the GW community:
- The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Mu Delta Chapter won the Excellence in Diversity Award
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Mu Delta Chapter won the Hippo for Hope Award
- JIL@GW won the Learning Through Action Award
- Kappa Phi Lambda Alpha Beta Chapter won the Outstanding Service Award
- GW Trails won the Pyramid Award for Student Org of the Year
Each recipient of the Excellence in Student Life Award received the honor for their dedication to the GW community.
