Stanford Report, May 24, 2006

10 students, 5 organizations honored for service to the university community

The James W. Lyons Awards for Service were presented May 11 to 10 students who have demonstrated outstanding service to the greater Stanford community. Four student organizations also were honored at the ceremony for community service with the Dean of Students Outstanding Achievement Award. In addition, the Bridge Peer Counseling Center was the first group honored with the newly created Legacy Award for Student Groups, which recognizes the long-standing contributions of a student group that has enriched the quality of student life over a sustained period of time.

James W. Lyons Awards

The recipients are:

Jenny Allen, a law student, who was honored for the leadership she provided to the Graduate Student Council and to the Graduate Student Programming Board and as a community associate in Crothers Hall, a graduate student dormitory;

Naree Chan, a senior majoring in public policy, who was honored for her efforts in raising awareness of Cambodian culture, history and issues on campus; for leading the Stanford Cambodian Culture Association as its chair; and for her work with the Special Language Program to create a new Khmer language class;

Christian Edvardsen, a graduate student in business administration, who was honored for his leadership and team-building skills that contributed to the success of the international Net Impact 2005 Conference and for his initiative in bringing MBA students and young professionals from around the world together to explore social responsibility, social entrepreneurship and environmentalism;

Daniel Herrera, a senior majoring in political science, who was honored for strengthening cultural awareness and preserving spiritual traditions through his organization of Día de los Muertos, and for his devotion to serving the entire Latino community and finding common ground among those with differing views of social justice;

Heili Pals, a graduate student in sociology, who was honored for her devotion to her 50-member staff as the head community associate in Escondido Village and for planning the Graduate International Gala;

Da Pan, a senior majoring in biological sciences, who was honored for her devotion to bringing women together to improve the lives of students, and for her strong commitment to teamwork in creating high-quality Women's Community Center programs;

Omar Shakir, a junior majoring in international relations, who was honored for his leadership of the Muslim Student Awareness Network and the Coalition for Peace and Justice in the Middle East and for raising the level and quality of campus discourse, learning and understanding about Muslim culture and the Middle East;

Daniel Stringer, a senior majoring in science, technology and society, who was honored for his compassion and a dedication to improving the lives of those disrupted by Hurricane Katrina through Project Hope, a student relief trip he led to New Orleans, and for the leadership he devoted to the Associated Students and the Black Student Union;

Donna Winston, a graduate student in education, who was honored for leading Stanford Students for Relief, a group devoted to assisting with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts on campus, and for her service and leadership as a community associate in the Rains Multicultural Theme House; and

Mike Woodward, a sophomore who was honored for co-founding an East Palo tutoring program that matches Stanford volunteers with high school seniors who are struggling to pass the mandatory California High School Exit Examination and for helping establish a School of Education course that provides a venue for tutor learning and reflection.

Dean's Achievement Award

Four student organizations were recognized with the Dean of Students Outstanding Achievement Award. The award for community service was established 10 years ago to recognize singular contributions by student groups that have enriched the quality of student life on campus.

The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East was honored for raising awareness about international injustice, focusing on the Middle East, through its extensive and inspiring educational programs.

Closing the Gap was honored for providing regular tutoring and mentoring of students at the East Palo Alto Charter School.

The Mexican Student Association was honored for bringing the Mexican community closer together through a variety of academic, cultural and social events and for creating a new social and cultural tradition, the Gran Fiesta.

Pakistanis at Stanford was honored for promoting the culture, language and identity of Pakistan on campus and for the significant contributions it made to raising $20,000 for survivors of the recent earthquake in Pakistan.

Legacy Award for Student Groups

The Bridge Peer Counseling Center is the first recipient of this award after 35 years of dedicated service to the Stanford community. The center was honored for the central role it has played in supporting the academic and personal growth of students; for creating the only 24-hour free peer counseling hotline at the university; for being a safe, student-friendly place that provides unconditional support for students with mental health issues; and for helping prepare countless students to be resident assistants, peer health educators and mental health professionals.