Recipients of these prizes have demonstrated exceptional leadership in and commitment to community service and endeavors to make Tufts more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable.
The Association of Tufts Alumnae 75th Anniversary Award honors students who have provided meritorious service to the community.
Dedicated to civic engagement, Lidya Woldeyesus has been a student leader in JumboVote, a Tufts initiative to boost voting participation. This work was particularly complex during the 2020 election at the height of the pandemic, but Lydia rose to the occasion, showing strong leadership, creativity, and commitment. Lydia contributes vision and energy toward helping other first-generation students succeed at Tufts through her work at the FIRST Center.
The Gemma Cifarelli Memorial Scholarship honors good academic standing combined with participation in activities of importance to the university.
Through volunteer work, internships, and leadership, Mariel Priven consistently strives to make meaningful contributions to Tufts and the surrounding community. She has volunteered in Boston-area classrooms and worked with neurodiverse students to reshape the curriculum to make it more accessible. Mariel has demonstrated impressive leadership in her work for The Tufts Daily and as a student board member to Hillel. Professors describe Mariel a dedicated student full of curiosity, with tremendous work ethic and humility.
Tina Zhang is an outstanding scholar and artist. She has used her artistic skills for community service in the U.S. and China, fundraising for China Care and using art to teach nutrition to older Chinese adults in Boston’s Chinatown. As president of the Tufts Chinese Students and Scholars Association, Tina has organized programs and activities that contribute to cross-cultural exchange and understanding, enriching the life and learning experience of all members in Tufts’ multicultural community.
The Community Service Award recognizes exceptional community service to Tufts or the larger community.
Sarah Barkouli is committed to making Tufts an inclusive space for other students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, applying her knowledge to justice-oriented projects within and beyond the university. She has dedicated her time to a multitude of organizations, including the First-Year Orientation Community Service program, the Tufts Observer, the Women’s Center, and the Tufts University Prison Initiative MyTERN program. Outside of Tufts, she has worked with the Muslim Justice League and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Service Award (formerly the Multicultural Service Award) recognizes an undergraduate who has made significant efforts to define Tufts as a multicultural environment.
An amazing scholar in Biomedical Engineering, Enrique Rodriguez has worked diligently as a tutor, mentor and student body leader to encourage students with marginalized identities to achieve their ambitions. Enrique serves as an Outreach Learning Fellow, Equity Learning Assistant, STEM Ambassador, TCU Senator, and as treasurer of Tufts Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program.
The Tufts University Alumni Association Award recognizes a student who has enhanced the traditions and embodies the spirit of Tufts.
Vivian Michaeli is deeply committed to fostering an inclusive Jewish and interfaith community at Tufts, and dedicated to honoring the traditions, legacy, and spirit of the university. Vivian has played a key role in revitalizing the Jewish Cultural House and has served as an important member of Tufts Hillel. As a student, Vivian’s integration of music into her studies in Child Study and Human Development is truly impressive, and she has deepened her knowledge and grounded her commitment to creating interfaith communities by taking several courses in the Religion department.
The Pride on the Hill honors students who, through community involvement, artistic expression, written work or scientific research, have contributed the most to an understanding at Tufts of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans identities during the preceding academic year.
Described by his professors as “brilliant” and an “absolute standout,” Nadia Rosales is not only academically impressive but incredibly grounded in moral and social ways. Through considerable extracurricular activity, which includes serving on the TCU Senate and working at the LGBTQ Center, Nadia is a real source of strength for other students navigating non-binary and non-genderconforming identities on campus.
Allison Sweeney is a role model for LGBTQ students through her scientific research and community involvement. Part of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans Graduate student group, Allison is well known as a friend, listener, advocate, and problem solver. In her research, she is making scientific contributions toward understanding sex-based differences in image-guided cancer theranostics.