Division of Student Affairs recognizes outstanding student leaders
The University of Notre Dame’s Division of Student Affairs honored seven graduating students at its 39th annual Student Leadership Awards banquet on April 14. These annual awards recognize current students for their exemplary leadership and many contributions to the Notre Dame community.
Rev. A. Leonard Collins, C.S.C., Award
The Rev. A. Leonard Collins, C.S.C., Award, which honors a graduating senior who has expended substantial personal effort to advance the interests of students at Notre Dame, was presented to Aidan Rezner from Corona, California.
A neuroscience and behavior major, Rezner served as Student Government vice president his junior year, working alongside the executive cabinet to articulate perspectives on campus culture at Notre Dame. As a senior, he served as a peer leader and co-instructor in the Moreau Program, and worked as a senior fellow in the Gender Relations Center to develop and host programs promoting a culture of healthy masculinity.
Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., Leadership Award
The Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., Leadership Award went to Gabriella Searl, a theology major from Wichita, Kansas. This award represents the highest faith-related honor the University bestows on its students, and is given to a student who has made a significant effort to advance Notre Dame’s Catholic character.
In her time at Notre Dame, Searl has helped students grow in their faith by organizing and hosting a weekly rosary in her residence hall room and providing a source of faith-based community in Howard Hall. Beginning her sophomore year, Gabriella worked as a videographer for the Notre Dame football team, and as a senior, she continued serving Howard Hall as a resident assistant.
Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Award
The Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., Award, which honors a graduating senior whose leadership has led to a more welcoming and inclusive environment within or beyond the University community, was given to Frances Ubogu, a biological sciences major from Lagos, Nigeria.
Ubogu's involvement included serving as president of Shades of Ebony and the performance club Dance Africa, chairing a committee on the Diversity Council and working as a senior fellow in Multicultural Student Programs and Services. Ubogu also worked as a research assistant in the Schafer Lab for Biological Sciences where she assisted with cancer research and as a volunteer at local health centers.
John W. Gardner Student Leadership Award
The John W. Gardner Student Leadership Award was presented to Melody Padilla of Modesto, California, for exemplifying the ideals of Notre Dame through outstanding service beyond the University community
A theology and Latino studies major with a minor in business economics, Padilla shared her commitment to the Catholic faith and social justice issues through a variety of on- and off-campus roles. In her time at Notre Dame, Padilla served as a volunteer at La Casa De Amistad, vice president of outreach for UndocuAlly ND, an Anchor Intern in Campus Ministry, a Mercy Works leader and as a student researcher for both the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and the Klau Institute for Civil and Human Rights.
Ray Siegfried Award for Leadership Excellence
Allison O’Connor, an accounting major in the Business Honors Program from Batavia, Illinois, received the Ray Siegfried Award for Leadership Excellence. The recognition honors a senior at Notre Dame who exemplifies the qualities for which Siegfried was known, including leadership, generosity, devotion to the Catholic faith and an affinity for athletics. At Notre Dame, O'Connor was a leader in Student Government and served as chief-of-staff during the 2024-25 academic year. O’Connor was also a varsity athlete on the women’s rowing team.
Mike Russo Spirit Award
The Mike Russo Spirit Award, which honors an undergraduate who is distinguished in extracurricular activities, service and personal character, was presented to James (Jimmy) Grammig, a management consulting major from Tampa, Florida, whose cheerful and selfless attitude were noted at the awards ceremony for positively impacting everyone he encounters in the Notre Dame community. Grammig, a Crowley Family Scholar and resident assistant in O’Neill Family Hall, was recognized for his consistent thoughtfulness toward others and his ability to create a sense of belonging among everyone he meets.
Denny Moore Award for Excellence in Journalism
Finally, the Denny Moore Award for Excellence in Journalism, which honors a senior who exemplifies the qualities for which Moore, the University’s late associate vice president for public affairs, was known — including personal integrity and character, commitment to Notre Dame and writing ability — went to Sam Coffman, an American studies major with a minor in journalism, ethics, and democracy.
A Lily Scholar from Muncie, Indiana, Coffman, served as an active leader in Notre Dame Student Media, serving as a columnist, reporter and moderator for political debates. He also worked as a writer and intern at Notre Dame Magazine and held public affairs internships in the office of Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb and through a firm in Washington, D.C.
Latest ND News Wire
- Internationally recognized physician Tom Catena to visit Notre DamePhysician, humanitarian and medical missionary Dr. Tom Catena will visit the University of Notre Dame on Nov. 12 (Wednesday) to deliver the 2025 Rev. Bernie Clark, C.S.C., Lecture at 5 p.m. in the Eck Visitors Center Auditorium. Catena’s lecture, titled “Hope and Healing,” is also part of the 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum, which is organized around the theme “Cultivating Hope.”
- Karen Deak named executive director of Notre Dame’s IDEA CenterKaren Imgrund Deak has been selected as executive director of the IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame, where she has served in the interim role since September of 2024. She will lead the unit and oversee the roll out of its recent strategic reorganization. Deak brings to the role knowledge of developing partnerships at the IDEA Center, across the University, and beyond.
- Kevin and Cynthia O’Brien endow Notre Dame center devoted to international security research, teaching and leadership formationKevin and Cynthia O’Brien of Dallas have made a significant gift to the University of Notre Dame to endow the O’Brien Notre Dame International Security Center, which provides a forum for scholars and students at the University of Notre Dame and elsewhere to explore the most pressing issues in national security policy.
- Notre Dame receives $2.5 million gift from Coca-Cola to expand entrepreneurship programs into FIFA World Cup 26 host citiesThe Coca-Cola Company in North America has awarded a $2.5 million gift to the University of Notre Dame’s Urban Poverty and Business Initiative (UPBI). The initiative brings together universities and nonprofit organizations committed to alleviating poverty and helping low-income and underprivileged individuals launch and grow sustainable businesses. The gift will enable UPBI, housed within the University’s Keough School of Global Affairs, to expand its network of partner organizations across the United States and into Canada, including cities that will host the FIFA World Cup 26.
- Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, DC, to speak at Notre Dame Forum event on ‘Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life’Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., will join University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., for a conversation titled “Healing Our National Dialogue and Political Life” at 4 p.m. Friday (Oct. 17) in Room 215/216, McKenna Hall, as part of the 2025-26 Notre Dame Forum on the theme “Cultivating Hope.” This event is free and open to the public.
- Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute partners with Vanderbilt University to launch 2025-26 democracy surveyThe University of Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies and Vanderbilt University’s Center for Global Democracy are partnering to advance one of the world’s leading surveys on attitudes toward democracy. Starting in October, the Center for Global Democracy, with support from the Kellogg Institute, will conduct the 2025-26 round of the AmericasBarometer, which tracks public opinion on democracy in 20 countries across the Americas.
