By: Jessica Spaulding
Know an honors student who has gone above and beyond in their studies? Want to help give someone the recognition they deserve? Look no further as the Mazzuchelli Honors Program recently started a new incentive to give credit to the students at Dominican that put their best effort forward.
The Scholar of the Month award was created by the Honors Advisory Board during the 2019 fall semester in order to give students an incentive to continue their hard work and to allow both students and faculty a way to acknowledge the successes of those within the honors program. President of the Honors Advisory Board, Monica Lebensztejn, stated: “The Honors Student Advisory Board came up with Mazzuchelli Scholar of the Month because we recognize that honors students accomplish many wonderful things, and they deserve to be recognized for all of their hard work. Recognition can also help students realize that their hard work is valued, and this can motivate them to keep achieving their goals. We hope that this initiative will inspire honors students to continue excelling inside and outside the classroom when they also hear their classmates’ stories.”
The Honors Board encourages anyone who recognizes the hard work and dedication of a fellow student to submit a nomination and give them a chance to be honored. The Board enjoys knowing what students are up to and the good work that is being done within the community.
Despite the winner of the award each month, the work of all nominees is congratulated and helps set a strong representation of the capacity for success that students at Dominican University possess.
Students can be nominated each month by filling out a form sent out by the honors board members and class representatives to both the students and faculty. The form can be submitted anonymously and requests information including the nominee’s full name and the reasoning for selection which could fall under one or multiple of the four categories: academics and classwork, leadership in the classroom or across campus, involvement in extracurriculars, and/or service to the community (within Dominican or the surrounding community). Near the end of the month, the Honors Advisory Board will review the submissions and vote for who they believe demonstrated work deserving of the award. The winner will be contacted soon after and will be featured on the Honors Program Instagram page with their name, major, reason for nomination, and a quote from the student on their involvement with the Mazzuchelli Scholars. The winner will also receive a section in the Dominican Star outlining their involvement and hard work within the community and inside the classroom. Anyone can nominate an honors student, not just those that are involved in the program, so spread the word and look out for next month’s Mazzuchelli Scholar!
The first Scholar of the Month was named in November of 2019 and the Mazzuchelli Scholars chose to honor junior, Kat Moreno. Kat was nominated for her dedicated work ethic inside the classroom and her active involvement within the Dominican community. Kat is a double-major in both Sociology and Criminology and has begun working towards her Masters in Social Work this past semester. She entered the honors program her sophomore year at Dominican and also works as a writing tutor in the AEC.
When interviewed after being awarded the November Scholar of the Month, Kat started, “My brain is CONSTANTLY stimulated by the honors courses. In the Honors program, learning never stops. This constant learning is what makes the Mazzuchelli Scholars a great representation of just a portion of the Caritas Veritas alive at Dominican.”
Don’t forget to follow the Mazzuchelli Scholars on Instagram @dumazzscholars to see the featured students and keep up with upcoming events and projects!
jspaulding@my.dom.edu
