GW honored student leaders and organizations Thursday for their outstanding contributions to the GW community at the 16th annual Excellence in Student Life Awards.

Representatives from more than 300 student groups attended the banquet at The Washington Monarch Hotel.

“It is a George Washington University Colonial collaboration including students, staff, administrators and alumni to honor and celebrate the excellence of the GW student body,” said Wendy Conti, one of five graduate assistants who helped plan and run the event with the Student Activities Center.

Recipients ranged from individual volunteers to fraternities and sororities.

“I think this is a good event to recognize the wide variety of students, and student groups on our campus that do so much for the GW community,” JCFS Scholarship nominee Josh Rothstein said.

Rothstein’s fraternity, Phi Sigma Epsilon, won the Greek Award for Outstanding Philanthropy Project in recognition of its March Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser.

Human services professor Honey Nashman received the Student Organization Adviser of the Year Award, honoring her service as an advisor for both the Human Services Student Organization and the Alpha Delta Omega National Honors Society.

“The thing I am most proud of – the real award – is working with such splendid human beings,” Nashman said.

The evening’s final three awards were given to individuals at GW who have made valuable contributions to the University and Foggy Bottom communities, through their involvement in service and leadership.

Mikey Aiken, Madeline Buck, Aron Kuehnemann, Matthew Silverstein and Jordan Usdan received the JCFS Scholarship for Student Leadership.

Kelly Snyder received the Gail Short Hanson Outstanding Service Award.

“I found there to be a lot of University support for getting involved in the community, both on campus and with Foggy Bottom,” Snyder said. “Such a positive atmosphere naturally promotes community service.”

Six students received the Baer Awards for Individual Excellence. The family-sponsored award honors students whose contributions to campus life have transcended the activities of any one or more groups with which they are affiliated.

Barbara Luchs, daughter of David A. Baer, said she believed these recipients carry on her family’s tradition.

“I don’t really need recognition to feel the thanks for all the work that I have done while here at GW,” recipient Seth Rosenzweig said. “But it means a lot.”

Students and campus organizations submitted nominations for the awards to a selection committee last month.

“The goal of the nomination process was to try and extend it to reach as many contributing students as possible in the hopes that the program will grow annually,” said Jaime Thompson, a graduate assistant who worked on the selection committee.

16th Annual Excellence in Student Life Awards

Pyramid Award for Registered Student Groups – Black Student Union, Chinese American Student Associate, Creative and Performing Arts Community, Mount Vernon Programming Council

Greek Awards
The Greek Outstanding Philanthropy Project – Sigma Phi Epsilon
The Greek Outstanding Community Service Project – Phi Sigma Sigma
The Greek Program of the Year – The Panhellenic Association
Greek Woman of the Year – Danielle Diaz
Greek Man of the Year – Dan Ericson

Interfraternity Council Academic Improvement Mission Award –
Phi Sigma Kappa

Student Organization Awards

SA Member of the Year – Jennifer Beppu
PB Member of the Year Award – Ben Posner
RHA Member of the Year Award – Josh Friedman
Student Organization Adviser of the Year – Honey Nashman

The Gail Short Hanson Outstanding Service Award – Kelly Snyder