Outstanding Student Life Awards: ‘Service has to come from within’

Joshua Ceballos/Staff Writer

Rather than watch TV or play video games, senior chemistry and psychology major Robert Wood felt getting involved and volunteering would be a better way to spend his time. Students like Robert are being honored by the University as part of the Outstanding Student Life Awards.

“[These awards are] a unique opportunity for faculty, staff and students to recognize FIU student leaders who have excelled academically and in the areas of distinguished service to others, citizenship, scholarship, innovation, leadership, diversity advancement, and promotion of the Panther Spirit,” according to Vice-president of Student Affairs, Larry Lunsford.

Sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs, 117 students have been nominated for the 2017 Student Life awards, of which there are eight categories: Kaplan Prize, Outstanding Leadership Award, Outstanding Service Award, Diversity Award, Spirit Award, Shining Star Award, Scholar Award and the Presidential Award.

Graduate and undergraduate students can be nominated by faculty members, other students, and they can also self- nominate, according to Bronwen Bares Pelaez, the chair of the Student Life Awards. Once nominated, a review board selects the individuals who meet the criteria to move onto the next three round of selections.

Finalists, along with two guests of their choosing, are invited to an awards ceremony on April 6 in the Graham Center Ballrooms for the results of the award selection.  

“Every finalist gets a certificate that night when they arrive, then the winners are announced, and the winners get a physical award… and there’s three awards with monetary pieces associated with them,” says Bares Pelaez.

Lauren Zulueta, freshman nursing major in the FIU Honors College, is nominated for the Outstanding Service Award and is appreciative of the recognition.

“I feel honored and humbled. It’s a humbling experience. Just to be in a nomination with other nominees who are also striving for greatness and being able to make a difference in the community,” she said. 

Zulueta is involved in a range of different service projects in and around the University community and an active member of CURE, an international non-profit organization that operates hospitals in countries around the world.

“One particular instance which still touches me today is my involvement with Blue Lakes Autism Academy,” she said. “I had tutored kids and played with children while their parents were at work, and because of this, the children were so inspired, they drew a picture for me when we were all holding hands.”

Jessica Weissman, a nominee for the Outstanding Leadership Award, is a Ph.D student in the Department of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She also works as the campus liaison for FIU the American Public Health Association, and the regional student liaison for the South Atlantic region and the New England region.

In the spring of 2016, Weissman planned a conference for the APHA despite her busy schedule with school and writing her dissertation proposal.

Robert Wood, nominated for the Outstanding Leadership Award and the Outstanding Service Award, works on campus as a learning assistant with the Chemistry Department, and says he got into service because it made him happy.

“Service has to come from within. You definitely need to feel like you’re doing it for you and feel like you’re helping people. You really can’t do it because it’s going to look good for this, or it’s going to look good for that,” says Wood.

Throughout his time at the University, Wood has also worked with inner city kids to teach them about science and inspire them, and cooperated with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation during an event held on campus.

On April 6, the nominees will find out if they will receive the award, but each one of them has said that whether or not they win, their service in the community is by no means over.