Women of Distinction Award Ceremony Held Online
The Gettysburg College Women’s Center (Photo courtesy of Gettysburg College)
By Britney Brunache, Arts & Entertainment Editor
The Office of Multicultural Engagement (OME) and the Women’s Center hosted this year’s annual Women of Distinction Celebration online Tuesday evening. It was announced that the winners and nominees of each award was to be posted on the OME Instagram and Facebook in 10-minute intervals starting at 7:00pm. The award list and nominees goes as followed:
Outstanding Organization Nominees:
- College Democrats
- Office of Multicultural Engagement
- The Butterfly Coalition
Outstanding Organization Winner:
- The Butterfly Coalition
After receiving the award, The Butterfly Coalition said, “This academic year has been one filled with many surprising and fulfilling events. The Butterfly Coalition was created to serve as a support system for the undocumented community on and off campus and for others to step into our bubble to understand (from our perspective) what it means to be undocumented. However, thanks to all of you and the community of Adams County, TBC has developed into so much more, becoming a home away from home. That being said, we want to thank everyone for recognizing the importance of our dedication to this organization and for being a part of this journey with us. As we continue to spread our wings and fight for the change we aspire to see, we ask you all to continue this fight with us, strengthening what we can achieve together.”
Hidden Figures Nominees:
- Cathy Bain
- Holly O’Malley
- Jennifer Bloomquist
- Judy Williams
- Lin Myers
- Michele Klunk
- Regina Tyree
- Sarah Appedu
- Monique Gore
- Professor Alecea Standlee
- Susan Holz
- Theresa Cotter
- Valentine Cucuzza
Hidden Figures Winners:
- Sarah Appedu ‘18, Scholarly Communications Assistant in Musselman Library
- Michele Klunk, Senior Administrative Services Assistant in the office of Residential Life and First Year Programs
Sarah Appedu said, “It was such an honor to be nominated for the Hidden Figures award, let alone find out that I was selected as one of this year’s recipients. We like to talk a lot about ‘assessment’ in education, but some things get missed in our traditional metrics—the impact of care, empathy, and kindness. Thank you to the Women’s Center, the OME, and my colleagues, particularly my supervisor Janelle, for lifting up people who are trying to make a difference in whatever capacity we can.”
Michele Klunk said, “To be honest, with everything that has been going on for the past several weeks, I haven’t been thinking about much other than adjusting to this new way of life we all are living right now. So this announcement came as a complete shock to me! I feel so very honored that I was nominated and then selected as one of the ‘Hidden Figures’ winners. It means a lot to be acknowledged in this way for the work we do.”
Emerging Leaders Nominees:
- Akilah Brown
- Ana Vashakmadze
- Bailey Ytterdahl
- Dallas Hardee
- Deidre Sullivan
- Ellie Boye
- Hana Huskic
- Hera Molina
- Phoebe Doscher
- Tayah Carey
Emerging Leaders Winners:
- Akilah Brown ‘22
- Tayah Carey ‘23
- Deirdre Sullivan ‘23
Tayah Carey ‘23 said, “It was such an honor to receive this reward. I knew nothing about this nomination until a friend told me recently. I gladly appreciate the honor to receive it. All I can say is that hard work NEVER goes unnoticed. Even when you think no one is watching, there will be someone around to see the hard work and dedication that you put in. Even when things get hard and you’re too tired to even get out of bed, just taking the first step to get up counts. I hope someone next year can do the same.”
Deirdre Sullivan ‘23 said, “I’m really proud of the work I have done to receive this award. As someone who previously attended a high school that had strict rules against LGBTQIA+ students, being out on campus as a non-binary and bisexual student has been a life-changing experience for me. I’ve grown so much these past few months by being a part of LGBTea and Prism. The person I was in my senior year of high school wouldn’t even recognize me today. I would like to thank my new family in Paul Hall for everything they’ve done to support me. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
This year, the Woman of Distinction award was renamed in honor of retiring Dean of Academic Advising Anne Bucher Lane.
The Anne Bucher Lane Woman of Distinction Faculty/Staff Award nominees:
- Anne Douds
- Daisy Chebbett
- Dr. Tyeshia Redden
- Dr. Veronique Delesalle
- Jennifer Bloomquist
- Jennifer Cole
- Joanne Myers
- Maria Ivanova Reyes Peguero
- Monique Gore
- Professor Alecea Standlee
- Susan Holz
- Theresa Cotter
- Valentina Cucuzza
The Anne Bucher Lane Woman of Distinction Faculty/Staff Award winner:
- Professor Alecea Standlee, Assistant Professor of Sociology
The Anne Bucher Lane Woman of Distinction Student Award nominees:
- Abby Greer
- Alpha Daniel
- Anna Cincotta
- Ashley Gehrin
- Callie Fucarino
- Catherine Steffens
- Cayla Cornwell
- Elaine Negron
- Elizabeth Walker
- Gauri Mangala
- Helen Winters
- Izzy Fiore
- Jazmin Reynoso Ortiz
- Jordan Knox
- Meaghan Adler
- Melanie Pangol
- Quyn Israel
- Samantha Cotter
- Sara Garrett
- Sophie Howie
- Tyra Riedemonn
The Anne Bucher Lane Woman of Distinction Student Award winner:
- Quyn Israel ‘20
After receiving the award, Quyn Israel ‘20 said, “Honestly, I feel really proud. I know it’s corny to say this but I feel like I won this award for all the hard working women of my class because we’ve put a lot into making ourselves visible. But I’m proud that people saw all the work that I put into being at Gettysburg.”
