SOD Awards

Spirit of Diversity Awards

Friday May 10, 2024 @ 5:30pm

Doors open at 5:15pm for drinks & cupcakes, program starts at 5:45pm

Anderson University Center, Scandinavian Cultural Center

Join us for an opportunity to celebrate students, faculty, and staff who have contributed to the mission through diversity, justice, and sustainability leadership, learning, and care.

Graduating Students

Students of Color, Queer Students, & First in Family Students

The Spirit of Diversity Awards is excited to recognize ALL graduating seniors who identify as Students of Color, Queer Students, and/or First in Family Students in a special ceremony and gifted a pin to wear on their commencement regalia. Graduating students who would like to be recognized in the SOC and/or Queer student ceremonies are asked to RSVP.

RSVP to be recognized as a graduating  Students of Color, Queer Student, and/or First in Family Student

Spirit of Diversity Awards

Emerging Leader Awards

Recognizing emerging leaders in DJS community 

2024 Recipients:
Zari Warden
Makayla Martinez
Wyatt Davis
Titus Malaga

Faculty & Staff Awards

Recognizing faculty and staff who have worked to create spaces of belonging and community at PLU through advocacy, support, and resistance in solidarity.

2024 Recipients:
Peter Davis
Laura Shneidman
Kalina Cordero
James Innocent

Alumni Award

Recognizing an Alumni who has continued to work to in their communities as a leader in diversity, justice, and sustainability.

Chloe No’eau Pa’ikai-Rose

Wild Hope in Social Justice

The Wild Hope in Social Justice Award was established in 2014.  In partnership with the Wild Hope Center for Vocation, this award recognizes students who practices an understanding of vocation as the promotion of human flourishing by working in community to strive for justice and peace.

Elijah Noel Paez

Rick Eastman Award for Excellence in Mentoring
Established in 2012 to celebrate and honor Rick Eastman, Associate Director of Student Involvement & Leadership.  In Rick’s 30+ years of service, Rick, who was described by Diversity Advocates as “classically fierce” cultivated intentional mentoring relationships with students, faculty, and staff that allowed us to see that, we too, are great.

2024 Recipient:
Mary Lou Yeomans

Past Recipients

2023

Wild Hope in Social Justice

Stephanie Zambrano & Sahara Jones

Faculty + Staff:

Paul Sutton

Nicola Justice

Andrew Lum

Christine Nicolai

Emerging Leaders:

Taezha Watson

Katherine Gunter

Juan Flores Del Toro

Justin Singh

Logan VanDenburg

Rick Eastman Award:

Karen McConnell

Alumni Award:

Theo Hofrenning

2022

Wild Hope in Social Justice

Monya-Dawn Wilson 

Faculty + Staff:

Ardys Curtis

Silong Chhun

Karmen Taylor-Brown

Miho Takekawa

Neal Yakelis

Emerging Leaders:

Gabriel Murray

Aaliyah Figueroa

PJ Morales 

Rick Eastman Award:

Lace Smith

Alumni Award:

Ashley Hill

2021

Wild Hope in Social Justice

Joey Grabowski

Faculty + Staff:

Austin Beiermann

Dr. Christian Gerzso

Dr. Ami Shah

Simone Smith 

Emerging Leaders:

Adalid Martinez

Andres Pedro Miguel

Damad Poteri

Rick Eastman Award:

Jennifer Smith

Alumni Award:

Salomé Valencia-Bohné

2020

Vocation:

Dejan Perez 

Faculty + Staff:

Kevin Berg

Suzanne Crawford O’Brien

June Ellis

Jen Rude

Bridget Yaden  

Emerging Leaders:

Cece Chan

Richard Oeun

Rick Eastman Award:

Shannon Seidel & Amy Siegesmund

Anna Leon-Guerrero

Alumni Award:

David Le

2019

Vocation:

Nayonni Watts

Faculty + Staff:

Scott Rogers
Tamara Williams
Troy Storfjell
Luke Ruiz

Emerging Leaders:

Sarah Bang
Mary Sarpong
Bryant Bartlett
Jessica Flores Bravo

Rick Eastman Award:

Anna Leon-Guerrero

Alumni Award:

David Le

2018

Highlight:

Dancing to Janet Jackson!

Vocation:

Quenessa Long

Faculty + Staff:

Tolu Taiwo

Dawn Cuthbertson

Dr. Heidi Schutz

Dr. Shannon Seidel

Emerging Leaders:

dCenter – Cece Robinson

Kreidler Lounge – Camile Chen

Community Garden – Emery Kim

The CAVE – Brenda Ochoa

Rick Eastman Award:

Dr. Rae Linda Brown

2017

Highlight:

& I am A Lute gallery, Presentation of Chris’s Capstone Project, first lavender and SOC awards

 

Vocation:

Theo Hofrenning

Faculty + Staff:

Amy Stewart-Mailhoit

Deidre Hill

Mary Lou Yeomans

Dr. Claire Todd

Dr. Seth Dowland

Emerging Leaders:

Erika Query  – The CAVE

Fatoumatta Conteh – Kreidler Lounge

Kennedy Gwin – dCenter

Rick Eastman Award:

Coach Steve Dickerson

2016

Highlight: Emerging Leaders in each space

 

Vocation:

Maya Perez

 

Faculty + Staff:

Lace Smith

April Nguyen

Galen Ciscell

Carmina Palerm

 

Emerging Leaders:

Alaa Alshaibani – Kreidler Lounge

Jenna Little – The CAVE

River Quitslund – dCenter

 

Rick Eastman:

Jennifer Warwick

2015

Highlight: First Alumni Recognition

 

Vocation:

Carly Brook

 

Faculty + Staff:

Michael Zbaraschuk

Kris Plaehn

Teru Toyokawa

Dr. Joanna Royce-Davis

 

Rick Eastman:

Jen Thomas

 

Alumni Recognition:

Laurie Reddy

2014

Highlight: The Wild Hope in Social Justice Award was established 2014.  In partnership with the Wild Hope Center for Vocation, this award recognizes students who undertake their vocational journey in the community; who understandings that knowing self and knowing self in the community is one of the first steps in discerning not just a career, but what gives their lives purpose and meaning.  

Vocation:

Princess Reese

Faculty + Staff

Dr. Giovanna Urdangarain

Steve Dickerson

Jazmyn Carroll

Dr. Ksenija Simic-Muller

 

Tunnel of Oppression Scenes:

Center for Community and Engagement and Service for their scene Lutes and Domes:  Seeing Through The Parkland PLU Divide

Student Athlete Advisory Committee for their Scene the R-Word.  Lead by Junior Amy Wooten and Junior Curtis Wildung, this scene expanded upon athletics R-word campaign and highlighted the oppressions faced by those with physical and intellectual disabilities through a crisp and professional looking visual and interactive element

 

Emerging Leaders:

 

Rick Eastman:

Joel Zylstra

2013

Faculty + Staff:
Jan Lewis

Peggy McKenna

Nicole Juliano

 

Students:
Blake Neace

Karina Sandoval

Tommy Flanagan

Nicole Jordan

 

Emerging Leaders:
Andrew Morris

 

Rick Eastman:

Cheryl Cristello

2012

The Rick Eastman Award for Excellence in Mentoring was established in 2012 to celebrate and honor Rick Eastman, Associate Director of Student Involvement & Leadership.  In Rick’s 30+ years of service, Rick, who was described by Diversity Advocates as “classically fierce” cultivated intentional mentoring relationships with students, faculty, and staff that allowed us to see that, we too, are great.

 

Faculty + Staff:

Adela Ramos

Akane Yamaguchi

Eva Frey

 

Students:

Torhild Skillingstad

Mike Farnum

Emerging Leaders:

 

Rick Eastman:

Rick Eastman

2011

Teresa Ciabattari (Sociology)

Amber Baillon (Student Involvement & Leadership)

Tunnel of Oppression

Lauren Fuglevand

Nick Butler (Digital Media)

Sex + Series

Boo Dodson

 

Faculty + Staff

 

Emerging Leaders

2010

Faculty + Staff:

Jennifer Smith (Women’s Center/Women’s & Gender Studies)

David Deacon-Joyner (Music)

Stephen Woolworth (School of Education)

 

Students:

Dmitry Mikheyev

Xochilt Coca Pena

Caitlyn Jackson

Chelsea Putnam

 

Cross Cultures – Dining and Culinary Arts

2009

  • Dr. Marit Trelstad, Religion
  • Dr. Steven Thomson, Anthropology
  • Pat Roundy, Dean for Student Academic Success, Director of Academic Advising
  • Rick Eastman, Student Involvement & Leadership
  • Robert Troy Moore, PLU Senior
  • Katie Garrow, PLU Sophomore

2008

Faculty

  Dr. Brenda Ihssen, Religion

  Dr. Alicia Suarez, Sociology

       

  Staff

  Amy Fox, Wang Center

  David Gerry, International Student Services

       

  Students

  Shayna Doi, Junior, Rieke Scholar, President of Hawaii Club

  Kate Fontana, Senior, ASPLU Religious Relations Director

2007

Faculty + Staff:

Susan Mann (Wang Center)

Barbara Temple Thurston (English)

Jeff Smith (Dining)

Beth Kraig (History)

 

Students:

Shannon Murphy

Troy Andrade

 

Campus Ministry

2006

Faculty + Staff:

Suzanne Crawford-O’Brien (Religion)

Emily Davidson (Hispanic Studies)

Joanne Ito (Counseling Center)

Lace Smith (Student Involvement & Leadership)

 

Students:

Christine Claridge

Alex Montances