2016 Sullivan Awards to be Presented Tonight

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 4, 2016) — Three wonderful role models who live out the ideals of humanitarian service will be honored tonight at the Hilary J. Boone Center on the University of Kentucky campus as they receive the 2016 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medallions.

Caroline Engle is the senior woman recipient. Jason Schubert is the senior man honoree. And, community activist and volunteer Tanya Torp is the citizen recipient. A campus committee evaluates nominations and makes the final selections.

Engle will be receiving two degrees from UK's College of Agriculture, Food and Environment in May — a bachelor's degree in natural resources and environmental science with a concentration in economic policy and climate science, and a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics. Beyond her heavy academic load, where she maintains a 3.94 GPA, Engle's service to UK in the last four years includes serving as director of operations for the Student Sustainability Council, president of Greenthumb, student representative on the Presidential Sustainability Advisory Committee, and Student Government senator-at-large.

On the statewide front, Engle is a member of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and served as summer program director for the Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition, which trained 30 Kentuckians in organizing skills for environmental change. Her impact goes well beyond the borders of Kentucky, having been elected as national chair of the Sierra Student Coalition. In this role, Engle serves the youth arm of the Sierra Club through a strategic planning process, while overseeing a national clean energy campaign, training program, and international program. On two occasions, once in Lima, Peru and the other in Paris, France, she served as a youth delegate at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change where she lobbied the U.S. State Department and high-ranking administration officials for increased climate action. Back closer to home, Engle has been active in Reforest the Bluegrass and UK’s Pick-It-Up trash removal campaign to name just a few other volunteer activities. Schubert currently serves as executive director of UK's Center for Community Outreach (CCO), which is the highest leadership role a student can hold in the organization. A community and leadership development major within the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, he is also a site leader for Alternative Service Breaks, having traveled on 10 UK ASB service immersions, most recently for a one-week environmental project in the Amazon rainforest region of Ecuador. On the trip, Schubert served as primary interpreter between the UK contingent and local community members.

According to his staff adviser in the Office of Student Involvement, Schubert's leadership has led to growth in the CCO and ASB in both quantifiable and qualifiable ways. ASB opportunities increased from 10 service trips in 2013-14 to 15 service trips in 2015-16. In 2013-14, Schubert and his ASB team gained recognition as the ACPA (American College Personnel Association)-College Educators International Program of the Year. And in 2014, he was honored with the Kentucky Ambassador Award, which recognizes a Kentuckian for exceptional community service outside the physical footprint of the state.

During the current academic year, Schubert spearheaded the creation of the Center for Community Outreach's four-year strategic plan, which places the community as central to the student-driven organization's work.

Other service activities and organizations which have benefited from Schubert's dedication and leadership include FUSION, UK's annual day of service by incoming freshmen, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, and the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America.

Torp is a local activist, community organizer, motivational speaker, trainer and entrepreneur. She is passionate about empowering others for the collective good.

In her full-time job as program director at Step by Step Inc., Torp supports, equips and empowers young single mothers, ages 13-24, by helping them set and reach attainable goals, learn life skills such as healthy relationships and financial literacy, and to cultivate success beyond their current circumstances. She is also the founder and CEO of Be Bold, Inc., which encourages girls and young women between the ages of 9 and 18 to break stereotypes, challenge media perceptions of worth and beauty, increase self-esteem  and become leaders in their communities. 

As vice chair of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Torp works tirelessly to help empower more than 10,000 members working for justice throughout Kentucky.

She also works for food justice in her neighborhood by advocating for healthy, organic foods as an ambassador, along with her husband, civil rights attorney Christian Torp, for GleanKY (formerly Faith Feeds). The Torp home, named "Justice House" by a friend, hosts free classes and events that are open to the community from "How to Preserve and Can Fruits and Vegetables" to "Craft Skills" taught by local artisans.

Every year, the Torps host Alternative Spring Break students from universities all over the country, exposing them to Lexington's people and culture. Their weekly open-to-the-community breakfast began as a way to connect citizens of their area and to foster diversity and inclusion, and is now a mainstay in the community.

The Torps, proud residents of Lexington's East End neighborhood, are planning to become foster parents in May.

“For nearly 90 years, the University of Kentucky has honored two outstanding students and one impactful citizen for their work in developing communities and serving others both near and far from the Bluegrass region,” said President Eli Capilouto. “This year’s recipients exhibit the best qualities of servant leadership and have garnered the deep respect of their peers.”

UK first presented the Sullivan Awards in 1927 and is one of several southern universities that bestow the honor, sponsored by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation. The award recognizes individuals whose commitment to community service evokes a spirit of love for, and helpfulness to, other men and women.

The criteria for selection, which puts a premium on character, integrity and humanitarian service, are written in the spirit of Algernon Sydney Sullivan, a Southerner who became a prominent lawyer, businessman and philanthropist in New York in the late 19th century.

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uky4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Carl Nathe, 859-257-3200; carl.nathe@uky.edu.