When almost 2,000 undergraduate seniors participate in Commencement on the National Mall Sunday they will leave behind their years at GW, but many will not be forgotten. The Hatchet spoke with faculty, staff and students to find 10 seniors who have made a lasting impression during their undergraduate years.

What began as a middle school hobby for Jacqueline Hackett has become a decade devoted to youth substance abuse prevention.

Now 22, Hackett joined Students Against Destructive Decisions in eighth grade, became the 2004 national SADD student of the year, testified before Congress to help pass the 2006 Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act and developed a unique Greek-letter program to prevent alcohol abuse.

As a freshman and new member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Hackett found that the University’s alcohol management training program for Greek life did not meet all of the needs of the community.

“I just didn’t think it was helpful enough to Greek chapters individually,” said Hackett, who recently completed her term as ADPi president. “I wanted to make it more focused on chapter liabilities and how Greek members’ actions affect national reputation and the reputation of the Greek community within Foggy Bottom.”

As a sophomore, she molded the existing responsible alcohol management training to the needs of the Greek-letter community.

Hackett, who said she has clocked more than 2,000 hours of community service over the past four years, is graduating with honors as a double major in human service and political science. She will begin her master’s in public policy next year as one of eight Presidential Administrative Fellows.

Recognized among the top one percent of campus student leaders, and recent recipient of the Baer Award for Individual Excellence and Greek Woman of the Year award, Hackett attributes part of her success to her middle school SADD advisers.

She said, “They really pushed me from being just a member to being a true leader.”