This award celebrates graduate students who have made outstanding contributions to the University community in the areas of scholarship, leadership, involvement and service.
2025-2026 Graduate Finalists:
Taiwo Alawode
Taiwo Alawode is a first-generation PhD candidate in Environmental Health from Oyo State who is passionate about advancing public and global health. Dedicated to service and community impact, she founded the NextGen Public Health Advocacy Initiative, a youth-led NGO focused on empowering underserved communities through advocacy, education, and sustainable health initiatives that promote equity, awareness, and long-term well-being. Taiwo is recognized as a highly motivated and service-oriented scientist committed to creating meaningful change through public health leadership.
Kenny Coronel
Kenny Coronel is a first-generation Indigenous Latina from North Charleston, South Carolina, and a master’s student in Student Affairs at the University of Maryland. Her work focuses on leadership development, access, and persistence, especially for students from mixed-status families and marginalized communities, centering equity, identity, and culturally responsive support systems.
Anna Grigoreva
Anna Grigoreva, from Moscow, Russia, studies inequality in technological access within higher education. With an interdisciplinary background in peace education, sociology, and academic diplomacy, she brings a global perspective. Anna also has professional experience in International Admissions and student leadership development at the University of Maryland, supporting diverse student populations.
Manuel Teran Hernández
Manuel Teran Hernández is a fifth-year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles by Mexican immigrant parents, he is a first-generation UC Irvine graduate. His research and clinical work examine intersectionality, cultural values, coping, and health disparities within Latine queer communities and mental health outcomes.
Julian Livingston
Julian Livingston is a first-year master’s student in Higher Education at the University of Maryland and a graduate assistant in Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy. A University at Buffalo graduate with a B.A. in Psychology, he is from Waterbury, Connecticut, and is passionate about supporting student engagement, belonging, and inclusive campus environments.
Meg Smolinski
Meg Smolinski serves as Outreach Coordinator for the University of Maryland’s Arboretum & Botanical Gardens and is an alumna of the Institute of Applied Agriculture. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Extension Education and is a Board Certified Master Arborist. Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, she is passionate about environmental education.