Senior of the Year

2025 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders

Colleen Rich — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 20:01:01 +0000

2025 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders Colleen Rich Mon, 09/15/2025 - 16:01

For more than 30 years, �鶹��Ƶ’s Alumni Association (GMUAA) has recognized the achievements of George �鶹��Ƶ alumni at its annual Celebration of Distinction awards program. Since it was first held in 1975, this program has evolved from a reception honoring four alumni, to become one of the premier Alumni Association functions each year.

The GMUAA selects five nominees for the following awards: Alumnus/a of the Year, Alumni Service Award, Faculty Member of the Year, Senior of the Year, and Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.). Distinguished alumni from colleges/units and alumni chapters were also recognized.

Here are this year’s top five honorees:

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Saddam Azlan Salim, BS Public Administration ’12, MPA ’15, is Alumnus of the Year. While growing up in his native Bangladesh, Salim and his family experienced severe drought followed by the flood of 1998, the country's most extreme and long-lasting flood of the century. His family came to the United States when he was 10. After experiencing homelessness shortly after moving to the United States, his family settled in Fairfax County, Virginia, where Salim attended Falls Church High School and then �鶹��Ƶ. He now works in federal financial management and consulting. In November 2023, he was elected to the Virginia Senate and represent the 37th District.

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Janis P. Tupesis, BA Biology ‘95, received the Alumni Service Award. He is a faculty member in the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and vice president of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine. He is recognized for his global work on emergency health care and education and received the 2018 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from the Global Emergency Medicine Academy. Among his roles, Tupesis serves as a volunteer technical consultant at the emergency, trauma, and acute care program in the World Health Organization’s Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence, and Injury Prevention. During his time at George �鶹��Ƶ, Tupesis was a student athlete—serving as an outside hitter on the men's volleyball team for four years.

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Merone Hailemeskel, BA Economics ’15, MPP ’17, received the Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award. She is the digital director and communications associate for former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Hailemeskel also worked on the first lady’s Reach Higher initiative, where she led research efforts and awarded more than $250,000 in grants to support public school teachers and school counselors, and the Better Make Room campaign, which encourages students to complete their education past high school. She was previously communication and digital director at Common App, supporting their 900 member colleges and universities.

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Leeya Mehta, director of George �鶹��Ƶ’s Alan Cheuse International Writers Center, is Faculty Member of the Year. She is a prize-winning poet, fiction writer, and essayist whose short fiction and poetry have appeared in publications nationally and internationally. Mehta received the 2024 College of Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty Civic Excellence Award for her work within the classroom and the curation of the Baldwin100 project that celebrated the centennial of James Baldwin's literary contributions. The project collaborated with 16 Washington, D.C., area organizations to produce 28 events and exhibitions featuring dozens of visual artists, musicians, and writers and received two American Graphic Design Awards. Read more about her.

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Haley White, BA Art History; BS Business Management ’25, is Senior of the Year. As a student, the Lynchburg, Virginia, native helped lead the Costello College of Business Day of Service event, which included packing 3,000 pounds of donated food. White was the design lead for the �鶹��Ƶ Chooses Kindness Guidebook, served as a teaching assistant, and was the creative mind behind many posters and flyers on campus. She co-wrote numerous articles and was featured in the Costello College’s brand launch video. She plans to spend time working in North Carolina and traveling following graduation. Read more about her.

In addition to the five honorees, 18 alumni received Distinguished Alumni Awards from their school, college, or affinity alumni chapter at this year’s September event.

See the full list of awardees

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Senior of the Year champions kindness

Katarina Benson — Tue, 13 May 2025 18:36:17 +0000

Senior of the Year champions kindness Katarina Benson Tue, 05/13/2025 - 14:36

Senior of the Year Haley White said double majoring in business and art history was one of the best decisions she made during her time at �鶹��Ƶ. Her second best decision was joining the �鶹��Ƶ Chooses Kindness initiative.

White, who is from Lynchburg, Virginia, has been a driving force behind �鶹��Ƶ Chooses Kindness since 2023. “The idea behind the initiative really spoke to me,” she said. “I was raised to be polite, give back, and be kind, and I feel like we can always benefit from more kindness to ourselves and others. It’s not always about giving a compliment or holding a door—though those things are great, sometimes it’s about doing hard things, and �鶹��Ƶ Chooses Kindness really seemed to understand this.”

Haley White. Photo provided.

For her dedication to kindness in both her personal and professional life, White was named Senior of the Year by the �鶹��Ƶ Alumni Association. She will be recognized at the association’s annual Celebration of Distinction this fall.

During her four years at George �鶹��Ƶ, White has been very active with the Costello College of Business, where she works as a business engagement assistant. She was one of the main contributors and design lead on Costello's 47-page handbook on implementing well-being projects and co-authored an article on Costello’s introduction of kindness into their course curriculum.

“We do not know what we will do without her [when she graduates],” said Gretchen Hendricks, term instructor at Costello. “Haley has been an instrumental part of the ‘goodwill team’ within the Costello College of Business.”

In November 2024, White led 75 students, faculty, staff, and alumni volunteers and helped organize the largest Day of Service event in Costello’s history, resulting in 3,000 lbs. of food packed to support the Patriot Pantry.

“Haley embodies the best of George �鶹��Ƶ students,” said Christine Landoll, BS Accounting ’89, MS Taxation ’92, director of business engagement at Costello and White’s mentor. “She is strong academically, strong civically, strong philanthropically, and a kind and compassionate human.”

White said she fell in love with art history when she enrolled in ARTH 101 Introduction to Visual Arts to meet a �鶹��Ƶ Core requirement. First, she added art history to her coursework as a minor and then realized she needed to just add it as a second major.

Looking forward to where the road after graduation takes her, White said she hopes to travel more and “be happy with what I am doing. I have a lot more to learn, and I hope in 10 years I can look back and be proud of myself for all it took to get me there.”

And of course, kindness will be a part of that future. “I have become more intentional and more aware of what kindness looks like, and it is something that I am going to take into my future work and continue being an ‘ambassador’ for in my personal life,” she said.

Being kind to oneself is a core piece of White’s advice for incoming freshmen.

“It can be easy to beat yourself up when you get a question wrong or feel like you are behind others or not doing ‘enough,’” she said. “You don't have to be perfect every day or even do as much as you did yesterday—focus on being kind to yourself, doing the best you can each day, and even if you are afraid, reach out for help when you need it. Extending yourself kindness every day is a worthwhile practice.”

In This Story

Christine Landoll

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2024 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders

Colleen Rich — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 16:41:32 +0000

2024 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders Colleen Rich Tue, 10/15/2024 - 12:41

Each year, the �鶹��Ƶ Alumni Association’s annual Celebration of Distinction recognizes outstanding alumni, faculty members, and students.

Here are this year’s honorees:

Hollis Kosco. Photo provided

Hollis Kosco, BA Speech Communication ’94, is Alumna of the Year. She is the senior transportation manager for FIFA World Cup 2026 in Miami, Florida, where she oversees operational planning in three countries at 16 stadiums with 48 participating teams. Kosco was a member of both George �鶹��Ƶ’s 1993 NCAA tournament runner-up women’s soccer team and the U.S. national handball team. Her international career in sports management and communications has included seven Olympic games, two Asian Games, the 2015 Pan American Games, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Kimiko Lighty. Photo provided

Kimiko Lighty, MAIS ’10, received the Alumni Service Award. She is the founding executive director of Restorative Arlington (RA). An innovator in peace building and conflict resolution techniques, Lighty has been involved with RA since the initiative began in 2020. She led the design and implementation of RA’s Heart of Safety Restorative Justice Conferencing Program, a diversion program serving Arlington’s public schools, legal system, and community, and continues to serve as a strategic advisor to the organization. In partnership with the non profit Doorways, RA has been awarded a five-year $1.5 million grant award from the federal Office on Violence Against Women to address harms resulting from intimate partner violence, dating and domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault.

Kala J. West. Photo provided

Kala J. West, BA Communication ’15, received the Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award. She is an entrepreneur, media production consultant, and host of Sunday Morning Praise and Morning Inspiration on WURD Radio (96.1 FM/900 AM). She is also a media professional for the Penn Sports Network. West has been recognized by George �鶹��Ƶ’s Black Alumni Chapter among its 2023 40 Under 40 Distinguished Alumni, as a 2023 20 Under 40 COGIC Achievers Award honoree, and among Funtimes magazine’s 30 Under 30 People to Watch in 2017.

Gabrielle Belle. Photo provided

Gabriele Belle, an instructional associate professor in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, is Faculty Member of the Year. She supervises all astronomy and college physics lab courses and teaches physics in the Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program. Belle is also a member of the university’s Nano-IMAGINE Council, which supports the growth of Virginia’s nanotech sector. Her research has included investigating quantum well structures with laser spectroscopy in high magnetic fields, developing new semiconductor devices, and building satellites to explore the GPS signal above the GPS satellites orbiting the Earth, for which she received the Air Force Association’s Citation of Honor and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Special Recognition Award.

Celine Apenteng. Photo provided

Celine Apenteng, BA Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’24, is Senior of the Year. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in international security and expects to graduate in May 2025. As an undergraduate, she served as vice president in Student Government, speaker of the Student Senate, a member of the President’s Student Advisory Board, and co-chair of the Student Advisory Council for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Over the past year, Apenteng interned at the White House in the Office of Public Engagement and for the U.S. Department of State. She also works with the Carter School’s John Mitchell Jr. Program for History, Justice, and Race to promote a more informed dialogue on the intersections between historical memory, justice, and racial reconciliation.

In addition to the five honorees, 18 alumni received Distinguished Alumni Awards from their school, college, or affinity alumni chapter at this year’s October event. See the full list of awardees.

See the full list of awardees

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This Senior of the Year found ‘true community’ at George �鶹��Ƶ

Colleen Rich — Thu, 09 May 2024 21:24:11 +0000

This Senior of the Year found ‘true community’ at George �鶹��Ƶ Colleen Rich Thu, 05/09/2024 - 17:24

Senior of the Year Celine Apenteng has made an impact during her time at �鶹��Ƶ, and she isn’t done. After graduating this spring with a bachelor’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution with a concentration in global engagement, and minor in intelligence studies, the Silver Spring, Maryland, native will continue to pursue her master’s degree in international security at the Schar School of Policy and Government through the university’s accelerated master’s program.

Senior of the Year Celine Apenteng. Photo provided

Senior of the Year is awarded annually by the George �鶹��Ƶ Alumni Association. In nominating Apenteng, her academic advisors at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution—Isaac Jasper, Jane Walker, Averi Jordan—wrote: “From her academic to her professional success, Celine has shown she is leaving the university as an ambassador of the best George �鶹��Ƶ has to offer.”

Throughout her college career, Apenteng, who is a member of the Honors College, was active in Student Government, serving as Student Body Vice President in 2022-23 and as Speaker of the Student Senate. She also was a member of President Gregory Washington's Student Advisory Board and co-chair of the Student Advisory Council for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Outside of the classroom, Apenteng held several internships that she said helped shape her as a person and a professional. She interned at the White House in the Office of Public Engagement and U.S. Department of State.

She also started out as an intern at the Carter School’s John Mitchell Jr. Program for History, Justice, and Race, which focuses on promoting a more informed public, political, and academic dialogue on the intersections between historical memory, justice, and racial reconciliation. She continues her work with the program as a fellow, documenting the impact of lynching incidents on African American communities and conducting historical archiving to preserve evidence of racial terror.

How have you grown while at George �鶹��Ƶ?

�鶹��Ƶ has helped me create a life of collaborative relationships instead of competitive ones. When I look for friendships, workspaces, and all other types of connections, I find myself gravitating toward people who want the same, a life filled with supportive people, doing their best, whatever that looks like, and wanting the best for the people around them. I can’t say that wanting that has changed since coming to �鶹��Ƶ, but my efforts to seek it out certainly have.

Senior of the Year Celine Apenteng with Carter School Dean Alpaslan Özerdem. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

How did your internships affect your career path?

[The internships] have all offered me different perspectives on what progress looks like for the world. Without a doubt, I can say that the key players are the local leaders we see every day who help us when no one is looking. As people look for opportunities, solutions, and answers, don’t overlook what your local or regional efforts can do for the people you know and the people you don’t.

What’s your best memory at George �鶹��Ƶ?

During my junior year, I was Student Body vice president. Although the entire year is filled with great memories, one that sticks out the most is the fall farmer's market. So many people had come out to support the local vendors we had brought to campus, Student Government members were out in full force, and we were all having a great time. We danced to music, played games, and of course ate really good food. Seeing everyone out just happy to be in that environment made me really happy, and I hope that event continues with the same excitement that made so many people feel the presence of true community at �鶹��Ƶ.

What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

You are on time. If you think you’re behind, you're not. There’s no science to living life and college is just one chapter of a (hopefully) very long book! It can be easy to feel like everything is passing you by, but just think back to high school and where you thought you’d be now. Your hopes will change, your dreams will change, and you will change. And that’s all just a part of the process of being alive. So don’t stress about what you can’t control and enjoy what you can.

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�鶹��Ƶ graduate student awarded Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship

Colleen Rich — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:28:23 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ graduate student awarded Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship Colleen Rich Wed, 08/23/2023 - 15:28

�鶹��Ƶ’s Senior of the Year has a new accolade to add to her resume: a Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Hannah Adamson, who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution, is one of 62 recipients nationwide to be awarded a fellowship worth $8,500 by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi.

As the Phi Kappa Phi Deborah and John Yeakel Fellow, Adamson will pursue a master’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution through �鶹��Ƶ’s Accelerated Master’s Program.

“I was looking at different options to fund my graduate study and I appreciated that Phi Kappa Phi offered applicants the opportunity to define how their graduate studies will contribute to achieving their goals,” said Adamson. “Knowing that an organization is comfortable investing in what I have to offer is empowering.”

“Phi Kappa Phi is one of the nation’s most prestigious honor societies, representing the next generation of leaders and scholars,” said Megan Bruening, director of �鶹��Ƶ’s Office of Fellowships, who worked with Adamson on her application. “Hannah’s fellowship demonstrates how our own �鶹��Ƶ Phi Kappa Phi chapter produces outstanding candidates from a select pool of applicants.”

“Growing up as a first-generation American, I have experienced the complexity of my U.S. culture with both my Irish and New Zealander heritage. Unifying these backgrounds is my commitment to make a positive impact, especially bridging social divides and protecting nature,” Adamson wrote in her personal statement for Phi Kappa Phi’s fellowship application.

Adamson’s goal is to have her education serve as a launching pad for community and international peacebuilding and environmental justice work. Currently, she works with a team at the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation as a program officer researching insider-reconcilers—community members who use their connection to conflict parties to work toward peace.

She also enjoys working at Think Peace Learning and Support Hub as a program manager of the Peace and Trust: Horn of Africa program, where she accompanies local partners as they facilitate conversations within communities affected by violence by implementing trauma healing and mental health support in the path to peace.

“As a graduate student, I will continue to focus on understanding how individuals, communities, governments, and organizations can collaborate to identify contextualized solutions and prioritize an inclusive and sustainable future,” she said.

A University Scholar in the Honors College during her undergraduate years at �鶹��Ƶ, Adamson was selected Senior of the Year by �鶹��Ƶ’s Alumni Association and will be recognized at the university’s annual Celebration of Distinction in October.

Looking to the future, Adamson aims to work either in a nonprofit, government, or inter-governmental organization. She aspires to bring people together to nurture sustainable communities, especially in terms of overcoming systems of injustice and ensuring all people have access to a healthy environment and adequate resources.

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2023 Senior of the Year pursues sustainable peacebuilding

Sarah Holland — Wed, 17 May 2023 17:20:10 +0000

2023 Senior of the Year pursues sustainable peacebuilding Sarah Holland Wed, 05/17/2023 - 13:20

Hannah Adamson knew after an 8th-grade trip to Washington, D.C., that the capital region was the place for her.

Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

Driven by a desire to do good in the world, Adamson—who grew up in New Jersey—saw endless possibilities in the dense concentration of NGOs, nonprofits, and government agencies. �鶹��Ƶ’s proximity to those opportunities initially hooked her, and its strong sense of community and diversity led her to apply.

In the end, it was the Honors College and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution that made Adamson’s choice clear. “I found the Carter School at one of the academic browsing sessions, and I was really excited about their approach to building unique skills to navigate global challenges,” she said. Combined with her selection as a University Scholar in the Honors College, Adamson felt empowered by the prospects of the education and support she’d receive at �鶹��Ƶ.

Adamson was named the 2023 Senior of the Year by �鶹��Ƶ’s Alumni Association. She is graduating this May with a bachelor of arts in conflict analysis and resolution.

“Working alongside Hannah has been a true joy,” said one of her nominators, Nick Sherwood, PhD candidate in conflict analysis and resolution and associate director of the Mary Hoch Center for Reconciliation (MHCR). “In the three years we have served together, I have watched Hannah bloom as a serious student-researcher and impactful peacebuilder. Students like Hannah are one in a million and represent the best qualities of both the Carter School and �鶹��Ƶ.”

Adamson is a first-generation American, and memories of her mother’s family farm in Northern Ireland inspire her deep connection to and passion for community-led sustainability and conservation. “[At �鶹��Ƶ,] I’ve been able to tailor my academic experience to the kind of change-making I want to do, which is melding social healing and reconciliation processes with a passion for sustainability and environmental justice.”

Adamson has applied this philosophy outside of the classroom to her work and internship experiences, which demonstrate her dedication to change-making through community-based healing at both the local and international levels. She was an active member of �鶹��Ƶ’s Student Environmental Justice Alliance and one of the co-founders of the Virginia Environmental Justice Summit. She spent a semester in the Smithsonian-�鶹��Ƶ School of Conservation’s (SMSC) residential program, working with the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative as part of the Conservation, Biodiversity, and Society program. She has also worked with MHCR since 2020 and found further opportunities with them through the Think Peace Learning and Support Hub, its sister organization.

These experiences have extended far beyond �鶹��Ƶ’s campuses, taking her to Finland to support Antti Pentikäinen, director of the MHCR, in his ongoing work with the Indigenous Sámi people; to Spain for a semester to build her intercultural education experience; and to Kenya for a regional workshop on integrating mental health and psychosocial support in ongoing peacebuilding processes in the Horn of Africa.

“I never would have thought, when starting at �鶹��Ƶ, that I would have the opportunity to grow in my roles and be so hands-on. I think it’s unique for an organization to tell student employees, ‘you take the lead and run with this.’” Adamson's nominators for Senior of the Year noted that her resume is impressive for an undergraduate student and demonstrative of her character, with her dedication to access and equity informing every action.

As a Carter School buddy, an Honors 110 Peer Mentor, and even through a Peacebuilding Fellows project understanding mental health and wellness within Carter, Adamson pays forward the transformative mentorship and experiences she’s been able to receive by helping empower others. She will continue her work as she transitions into �鶹��Ƶ’s Accelerated Master’s program, expecting to earn her MS in conflict analysis and resolution in ‘24.

“It took a degree of confidence I didn’t know that I had to be able to step outside of my major and throw myself into the science while studying at SMSC or to work internationally in the field as a student. And I’m proud of myself for saying ‘yes’ and trying.”

Sherwood said of Adamson, “Folks like Hannah will change the world, not just with what they do, but also with who they are. Hannah is a rock star, plain and simple, and I can’t wait to see her evolution in the years to come.”

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2022 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders

Colleen Rich — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 15:43:13 +0000

2022 Celebration of Distinction honors alumni leaders Colleen Rich Thu, 10/20/2022 - 11:43

More about the Alumni Association

For more than 30 years, the �鶹��Ƶ Alumni Association has honored outstanding alumni, faculty members, and students at their annual Celebration of Distinction. This year’s celebration was held Friday, October 21. The 2022 awardees include a diverse group of Patriots who exemplify service to others.

David J. Freeman

Alumnus of the Year David J. Freedman, BA Philosophy ’98, is a partner with the Pennsylvania law firm Barley Snyder LLP, where his practice focuses on employment litigation and higher education and immigration law. He has received numerous accolades, especially for his extensive pro bono work. The Central Penn Business Journal recognized Freedman as one of the 30 most influential legal professionals in central Pennsylvania and awarded him the Legal Excellence Award for pro bono service. The Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center has awarded Freedman its Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award three times, most recently in 2021.

Victoria N. Salmon

Victoria N. Salmon, DA Education (Community College) ’97, received the Alumni Service Award. She is associate dean emerita for graduate studies in �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA). In 2007, Salmon established the CVPA Office of Graduate Studies, which added seven new graduate degrees in the college in seven years. When she retired in 2014, CVPA established the Victoria N. Salmon Outstanding Graduate Student Award in her honor. Salmon continues to serve the university as chair of the Arts at �鶹��Ƶ Board and as an adjunct faculty member in the Arts Management Program.

Raquel Gonzalez

Raquel Gonzalez, BA Integrative Studies ’07, MS Conflict Analysis and Resolution ’12, received the Graduate of the Last Decade (G.O.L.D.) Award. They are a first-generation college graduate and public servant dedicated to uplifting marginalized communities. Prior to their current work in government leadership training and inclusivity efforts, they spent four years in New York state government, leading operations, policy, and diversity and inclusion initiatives. They were named a 40 Under 40 Rising Latino Star by the Hispanic Coalition of New York in 2018. Previously, Gonzalez was a presidential appointee in four federal agencies and at the White House during the Obama administration.

Wendi Manuel-Scott

Faculty Member of the Year Wendi Manuel-Scott is a professor of integrative studies and history and an affiliate faculty member in the Women and Gender Studies Program, African and African American Studies Program, and the Carter School’s John Mitchell Jr. Program for History, Justice, and Race. Manuel-Scott was integral to the Enslaved Children of George �鶹��Ƶ project, which led to the creation of the Enslaved People of George �鶹��Ƶ Memorial on Wilkins Plaza. She is the co-chair of �鶹��Ƶ’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force.

Dominique Dowling

Senior of the Year Dominique Dowling, BA Integrative Studies ’22, is currently pursuing a master’s in early childhood education for diverse learners at �鶹��Ƶ. She has served in several leadership roles on and off campus, including as president of the �鶹��Ƶ chapter of the NAACP and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Ambassadors and as student representative on university committees, such as the Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Task Force. In 2021 Dowling selected to be part of the 2021 Virginia Governor’s Fellows Program and worked for then Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni, MA History ’09.

See the full list of honorees, including the 14 distinguished alumni chapter recipients.