USD Student Organizations Honored

USD Student Organizations Honored

Finding one's place. Making connections. Getting involved. Being and discovering yourself. Doing good for others. Having fun. Each sentiment and action expresses what a student's experience can be at the University of San Diego.

2016 Student Organization Awards

At the USD Student Organization Awards ceremony April 27 in the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice Theatre, students, clubs and organizations were recognized, celebrated and rewarded for their outstanding work in 2015-16 and demonstrated in many ways what it means to be a Torero.

Awards were handed out in 11 categories: Emerging New Member; New or Emerging Organization of the Year; Innovation/Creativity; Community Service; Cultural Event of the Year; Academic/Educational; Advisor of the Year; Torero Spirit; Outstanding Student Leader; Excellence in Inclusion; and Outstanding Student Organization President.

The biggest winner was USD's Pride organization with two awards. The group received the Excellence in Inclusion Award and senior Madeline Kasik was selected as Outstanding Student Organization President. Kasik is an international relations major who will graduate in May and has already been selected as a Fulbright Scholar and she will live and work in South Korea.

The inclusion award presentation was particularly moving as Kasik initially walked on stage to accept the honor, only to wave up several members of PRIDE and faculty advisor Evelyn Kirkley, PhD, to the IPJ Theatre stage for a group photo and celebration.

Also receiving awards were Juliana Mascari (outstanding student leader); USD Club Women's Lacrosse team (Torero Spirit); Psychology Journal Club (academic/educational); Filipino Ugnayan Student Organization (FUSO) for its annual Pilipino Culture Night (cultural event of the year); USD Global Medical Brigades (community service); Active Minds at USD for its White Balloon event connected to mental health awareness (innovation/creativity); Gianna Metz of Sigma Theta Psi and Campus Connections (emerging new member); Student Vegans United (new or emerging organization) and Marina Mantos, who oversees both Sigma Theta Psi and Alpha Pi Sigma, was named advisor of the year.

Each time after announcing a few award winners, the audience was treated to dance performances by three different student organizations — Folklorico and Mariachi Association (FAMA), USD Dance Company and the dance group Less Than Zero, which was comprised of four FUSO members.