2024 Lead Blue awards recognize student, staff leaders
LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 14, 2024) — The University of Kentucky Office of Student Organizations and Activities (SOA), in the Office for Student Success, continues the campus tradition of awarding and recognizing individual students and registered student organizations through hosting the Lead Blue: Student Organizations Celebration and Award Ceremony.
The Lead Blue Awards recognize the successes and accomplishments of student leaders, registered and sponsored student organizations and their student organization advisors. This year’s ceremony was hosted Wednesday, April 17, in the Gatton Student Center’s Worsham Cinema. 168 total nominations introduced phenomenal student leaders across campus and displayed incredible successes of our campus organizations.
SOA wants to extend a special thank you to all registered student organization staff and faculty advisors, student leaders, members and student organizations for developing our campus home into a place centered on belonging, involvement and student success. Congratulations to all awardees:
Individual Awards
- Sense of Belonging: Aliyyah Sadek
- Student Organization Officer of the Year: Isiaka Busari and Olajumoke Oladele
- Student Organization Member of the Year: Oluwaseun Alo
- Emerging Leader: Myka Smith-Jackson
- Leadership Legacy: Princess Magor Agbozo
- Advisor of the Year: Samantha Seitz
- Sullivan Award, presented by the Office of the President, Student Recipients: Emmanuel Dhemby Moussabou and Kotomi Yokokura
- Sullivan Award, presented by the Office of the President, Community Member Recipient: Alexandra “Alex” Simpson
- Darrell A. VanMeter Service Award: Caroline Youdes
Student Group Awards
- Sense of Belonging: Student Activities Board and Student Public Health Association
- Event of the Year: WRFL and College Democrats
- Community Engagement Awards (Service-Based): DanceBlue and College Mentors for Kids
- Community Engagement Awards (Non Service-Based): Graduate Student Congress, Horticulture Club, and Pre-Medical Women’s Society
- Collaboration Award: Wildcat Market (Student Activities Board, Student Government Association and UK Community Supported Agriculture) and Pre-Health Women’s Week (Pre-Medical Women’s Society, Fellowship of Women in Dentistry, Women in Neuroscience and Women in Pre-PA)
- Organization Innovation Award: Graduate Student Congress and Biomedical Engineering Society
- Organization Milestone Recognition: Biomedical Engineering Society – First Annual BME Showcase; Pickleball Club – Outstanding Membership Growth; The Campus Kitchen – 10 Year Anniversary
- New Student Organization of the Year: HealthCare Cats
- Student Organization of the Year: The Campus Kitchen and NeuroCATS
Within the awards ceremony, the UK Student Government Association also recognized donor awards and scholarship recipients.
Student Government Association Scholarship Awards
- Academic Excellence Scholarships (Undergraduate Recipient): Caroline Youdes
- Academic Excellence Scholarships (Graduate Recipient): Oluwaseun Alo
- UKSGA Constitutional Scholarship: Princess Magor Agbozo
- Lyman T. Johnson Scholarship: Sarah Samiri
Donor Awards
- Shane Carlin and Annie Sit Inclusion Award: Innovation Club and Poli Sci Pals
- Robert and Freda Carlin “Unsung Hero” Award (Student Recipient): Jaida Alee
- Robert and Freda Carlin “Unsung Hero” Award (Staff Recipient): Jordyn Manczyk
- Otis A. Singletary Outstanding Senior Award: Jackson Huse and Kotomi Yokokura
- Otis A. Singletary Outstanding Senior Award (Finalists): Shannon Nguyen and Gretchen Ruschman
At the University of Kentucky, students are at the center of all that we do. From the moment you become a Wildcat through graduation and beyond, the Office for Student Success is committed to supporting you. Comprised of five areas and 25 units, together, they have one vision — to help students live a life of meaning. Student Success works through an equitable, holistic and inclusive lens to design and deliver unparalleled services and support a diverse community of learners in achieving their wildest ambitions. In the Office for Student Success this is what we do — this is who we are. You can explore resources available to you here. If you have additional questions, you can reach a Student Success team member by calling the helpline 859-218-YouK (9685).