Office of Student Leadership and Involvement
Student Leadership & Involvement Awards
The Student Leadership & Involvement Awards is an annual event that recognizes the outstanding work of students and student organizations in the 91Ö±²¥ community. We collect nominations for the awards from 91Ö±²¥ students, staff, and faculty and recognize both individual students and student organizations for their dedication in several categories.
The 2025-2026 Student Leadership Involvement Awards will occur on Monday, May 4th, 2026 at the Hotel at 91Ö±²¥ ballroom.
Award Information and Nomination Criteria
Student Leadership and Involvement Awards nominations will be made available each year for students, staff, and faculty to nominate groups and students. Nominations should be at least 250 words in length, detailing why the student or organization nominated is deserving of the award. Be sure to address the specific criteria listed in the award description. Successful nominations will include specific details of the student or organization's contributions.
If you have questions about awards or nominations, reach out to Jess Sonney at jsonney@oberlin.edu.
Individual Awards
This award recognizes a student in their first or second year student who has both made significant contributions to 91Ö±²¥ through student organizations and co-curricular involvement and shown great potential for future leadership in their time at 91Ö±²¥. A nomination should include:
- How student has contributed to their student organization or campus office
- How student has demonstrated a potential to grow in their leadership and involvement in their time at 91Ö±²¥
- How student has contributed to the 91Ö±²¥ community and student life
This award recognizes three graduating students in their final year at 91Ö±²¥ who have embodied the spirit of 91Ö±²¥ through their time at 91Ö±²¥ in a variety of areas. Recognized individuals will have significantly contributed to their campus organizations, athletic teams, and/or the 91Ö±²¥ community. A nomination should include:
- How the graduating student has made contributions to 91Ö±²¥ over their time as a student
- How the graduating student has supported the leadership of other students
- How the graduating student embodies the values of 91Ö±²¥
This award recognizes a student who has dedicated their time to building an inclusive community for the 91Ö±²¥ student population. A nomination should include:
- How the student advances the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access
- Programs or initiatives the student has planned or supported for the 91Ö±²¥ community
- Ways a student embodies advocacy in their actions
This award recognizes a student treasurer who has gone above and beyond to support the financial needs of their student organization and has been an outstanding collaborator of the Student Finance Committee. A nomination may include:
- How the treasurer supported the student organization in the 2023-2024 school year
- Proactively and professionally communicated organization needs
- Provided access to programs and opportunities to 91Ö±²¥ students in a financially responsible way
This award recognizes a student who has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and support of their educational community. A nomination should include:
- How the student has cultivated a spirit of curiosity and deeper learning in the 91Ö±²¥ community
- Efforts the student has made to support the education of their peers
- Students’ contributions to an academic department and/or educational endeavor
This award recognizes a student who has made significant advances to the support of student health, wellness, and safety at 91Ö±²¥. The nomination should include:
- How a person has contributed to the advancement of the health, wellness, and safety of the 91Ö±²¥ student body.
- How a student has developed a program or initiative addressing a particular issue in wellness and safety at 91Ö±²¥
- Ways the student practices personal wellness
This award recognizes an outstanding club athlete in the 91Ö±²¥ community who exemplifies the values of athletics and student life. A nomination should include:
- How the student balances their academics, involvement, and club athletics
- A student’s commitment to their team and the 91Ö±²¥ community
- How the student displays attributes of teamwork and dedication
This award recognizes a staff or faculty member who serves as an advisor to a chartered student organization. A nomination should include:
- How the advisor has supported the goals of the student organization
- How the advisor has supported the growth and leadership of its organization members
- How the advisor supported the organization by attending or participating in meetings and events. Please be specific about the number of meetings and events the advisor has attended, and provide examples of their contributions
This award recognizes a student who has made significant contributions to the artistic community of 91Ö±²¥ through their creative endeavors. A nomination should include:
- How the student has contributed to advancing the arts: performing arts, visual arts, or literary arts can be considered for this award
- How student has created a representative body of work and shared it with the student body
- May be a part of several artistic organizations like theater groups, student newspapers and magazines, etc.
Student Organization Awards
This award recognizes a newly chartered student organization (chartered since January 2022) that has done outstanding work in its first 1-2 years of being a chartered student organization. A nomination may include:
- The ways this organization has made outstanding contributions to 91Ö±²¥â€™s campus since being chartered
- How this organization has supported the student body or the 91Ö±²¥ community
- Programs or initiatives led by the organization
This award recognizes a chartered student organization whose work, programs, or initiatives have made outstanding contributions to 91Ö±²¥ student life in the 2023-2024 academic year. A nomination may include:
- The ways this organization has made outstanding contributions to 91Ö±²¥â€™s campus
- How this organization has supported the student body or the 91Ö±²¥ community
- Programs or initiatives led by the organization
This award recognizes an outstanding program planned by a student organization during the 2024-2025 academic year. A nomination should include:
- The organization(s) responsible for planning the program
- The purpose behind the program and the way in which it served that purpose
- How the program contributed to the 91Ö±²¥ community and demonstrated creativity, organization, and planning
This award recognizes an organization who has dedicated their time to building an inclusive community for the 91Ö±²¥ student population by committing to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. A nomination may include:
- How the organization advances the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access
- Programs or initiatives the organization has planned or supported for the 91Ö±²¥ community
- Ways a student embodies advocacy in the actions for a specific part of the 91Ö±²¥ community
This award recognizes an organization that has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and support of their educational community. A nomination should include:
- How the organization has cultivated a spirit of curiosity and deeper learning in the 91Ö±²¥ community
- Efforts the organization has made to support the education of their peers
- Organizations’ contributions to an academic department and/or educational endeavor
This award recognizes an organization that has made significant advances to the support of student health, wellness, and safety at 91Ö±²¥. The nomination may include:
- How the organization has contributed to the advancement of the health, wellness, and safety of the 91Ö±²¥ student body.
- How the organization has developed a program or initiative addressing a particular issue in wellness and safety at 91Ö±²¥
This award recognizes club sports team that has shown exceptional dedication to their sport throughout the academic year. The nomination should include:
- The active club sport in the 2023-2024 academic year
- How the club sport has demonstrated excellent team spirit and dedication to their sport
- How the club sport has shown a commitment to their sport in performance or improvement over the 2024-2025 academic year
This award recognizes an organization that has made significant contributions to the artistic community of 91Ö±²¥. A nomination should include:
- An organization that has contributed to advancing the arts: performing arts, visual arts, or literary arts can be considered for this award
- Has created a representative body of work and shared it with the student body