Leadership and Service Awards

Each year, at the Leadership and Service Awards ceremony, the College recognizes those students and student groups whose qualities of leadership and service have enriched the life of the community. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to nominate students and groups who deserve recognition for their outstanding contributions. A number of offices and departments at MHC recognize students at this ceremony. The award descriptions are below.

Individual Awards

  • Residential Advisor of the Year

    This award is presented to the Community Advisor who best fulfilled the spirit as well as the letter of their position over the previous academic year. They have demonstrated excellence in programming, role modeling care for others, and building up their staff, building, and campus community.

  • McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives: Global Engagement Award

    This award recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to raising awareness on campus of critical global issues.

  • Emerging Leader Award

    This award honors two students in their first or second year at the College who show leadership promise through their contributions to student life and community building. Their commitment can be seen in their involvement in campus committees, student organization, student government, class board, residential life or community service.

  • Golden Lyon Award

    This award recognizes students who have positively influenced a program or organization from behind the scenes with a positive attitude, a willingness to help in whatever capacity necessary, and a commitment to excellence. The student cannot have served in a executive board position of a student organization, committee, class board, etc.

  • Frances Harriet Williams Award

    Established by the family of Frances H. Williams ’19 in 1981, this award is presented to a student who passionately pursues their goal of academic excellence, social justice, or service to others.

  • Francis Harriet Williams & H. Elizabeth Braun Catalyst for Change Award

    This award, established in 1981 by the Family of Frances H. Williams, and updated in 2024 to include recognition of H. Elizabeth Braun, recognizes leaders who have done extraordinary work creating a diverse and inclusive community while pursuing their goal of academic excellence, social justice and service to others.

  • Irma Rabbino Award, in fond memory of Rose and Murray

    This award was established in 1978 by Irma L. Rabbino '53 to honor her father by recognizing a Resident Assistant or Fellow that has made a significant contribution to the life of Mount Holyoke College through their service and commitment within Residential Life.

  • The Helen Warren Smith Award

    Established by the family of Frances H. Williams ’19 in 1981, this award is presented to a student who passionately pursues their goal of academic excellence, social justice, or service to others. Established in 1979 by Helen Warren Smith, class of 1908, this award honors a student whose interest, involvement, and service to the Mount Holyoke College community have been outstanding.

  • Residential Fellow of the Year

    This award is presented to the Senior Community Advisor who has excelled in all areas of their position over the previous academic year. Their supervision skills, ability to handle difficult situations, and the relationships they built among their staff and building have made them a role model to the Mount Holyoke Community.

  • The Anna C. Edwards Prize for Excellence in Debate

    Established in 1915 by the 1890 class of Mount Holyoke College. This award honors a student who has demonstrated commitment to promoting debate on campus. The definition of debate has been expanded to include engaging in difficult conversations, dialogue across differences and challenging topics with peers.

  • The Excellence in Artistic Expression Award

    The Excellence in Artistic Expression Award recognizes a program that demonstrates exceptional creativity, innovation, and expression through performance or art. This award celebrates the ability to inspire, engage, and elevate audiences through powerful and original artistic work, fostering an environment where artistic vision thrives.

Group Awards

  • MoZone Community Builders Award

    This award recognizes the student groups who has done extraordinary work creating a diverse and inclusive community; presented by the MoZone Social Justice Peer Education program. Award honors a recognized student group who has demonstrated a significant commitment to diversity and inclusion throughout the academic year.

  • Excellence in Programming Award

    This award recognizes a student program for its exceptional creativity, planning, and execution of a campus-wide experience. Criteria upon which decisions are based include appeal to a broad cross-section of the College community, originality, and participation by members of the organization during all phases of the effort. The program must have been administered and managed by an organization where students are significantly, if not completely, involved with the decision making, planning, implementation and presentation of program. Note: Faculty or administrative personnel may be involved in an advisory capacity.

  • Distinguished Student Group Award

    This award honors recognized student groups and their distinguished level of contribution to the MHC community through planned events and programs on campus. Student groups which receive this award are recognized by their exceptional success in motivating and organizing fellow students to enhance campus life; and by their collaborative efforts with other organizations or departments to achieve objectives to improve student life. In addition to enriching the campus life, they have co-sponsored with other organizations or groups in order to bring together different facets of campus, and which served to build and strengthen the campus community.

  • The Kelly Sottile Community Service Award

    This award honors a group who has demonstrated a high level of personal commitment to the community beyond the campus.