Student Affairs presented the 2022 Service and Leadership awards, including the Graham Alumni, Loughran, Merrifield, Dolan, Harrangue, Kilp, and McKay award recipients were honored on April 22, 2022, during the convocation in Sacred Heart Chapel.
“Embrace the energy that has emboldened you to be your best,” said President Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D., who joined Interim SVP of Student Affairs Terri Mangione, Ph.D., to lead the ceremony. “Let it excite you to live every moment with meaning and purpose. Let this energy propel the habit of doing more, and when you feel like you might be running out of energy, go back to March 2020 or January 2022, or even today, and remember what made you.” Snyder’s remarks were interrupted by a power outage that occurred across campus, yet the program continued to honor Lions for their achievements and being Lions “for and with others.”
Two outstanding seniors, Malia Thornton ’22 and Jack Mauro ’22, were presented with the Robert Graham, S.J. Alumni Award, who during their tenure at the university have excelled in areas of service and leadership.
As a political science major and Spanish minor, Thornton has integrated her academic passions and leadership accomplishments to address our world’s inequities. As president of Belles service organization, she led the organization’s successful return to campus. Thornton also served as a resident advisor and student involvement specialist, roles that allowed her to connect with first-year students and help them find their place at LMU, both in-person and remotely. During her remarks, Thornton reflected on her growth during her time at LMU, “I like to believe that the statement, that people will never forget how you made them feel, is the philosophy that has guided me in every space and community I’ve been a part of at this university.”
Mauro, a dual major in philosophy and applied mathematics, embodies the LMU mission through his service as the president of the Agape service organization in 2020, joining Good Tutors, a virtual program to connect LMU to LAUSD students in need of tutoring support. He also attended both Ignacio Companions trips, and participated in the Pam Rector Center for Service and Action delegation to the Ignatian Family Teach-In in Washington, D.C. When he leaves the bluff, he will be pursuing a doctoral degree in applied mathematics at UCLA with a goal to continue to find ways to use math as a tool to advance social justice. In his acceptance speech, Mauro shared, “What truly matters, what really makes a university what it is, are the people you fill it with … The people, the people gathered here in this chapel, the people we interact with every day on our walk to class.”
The Donald P. Merrifield, S.J. Award was presented to Lizbeth Ramales Arango ’22 for her intercultural leadership. A double-major in sociology and Chicana/o and Latina/o studies, Arango is an assistant programmer for Chicano and Latino Student Services. She has served as an intercultural facilitator, president of the Alpha Beta Chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority Inc., and vice president of Resilience. Arango attended the Ignatian Solidarity Network’s Ignatian Family Teach-In with CSA. Additionally, she has conducted research through RAINS, USC DIA Jumpstart, and interned for Loyola Law School’s Immigrant Justice Clinic. She is on the founding leadership team for Boundless LMU, an organization that assists undocumented and DACAmented students to obtain fellowships. Arango is an aspiring immigration attorney and serves as a strong advocate for other immigrants.
Emil Sol ‘22 was awarded the James Loughran, S.J. Award for his significant impact in the local community, primarily through off-campus service and called a “champion of first-generation students on and off campus.” He served as vice president of spirituality for Magis service organization and for El Espejo. Through his service with Magis and El Espejo, Sol served at Verbum Dei High School, Blessed Sacrament Church, and Lennox Middle School. Patrick Furlong, director of the Pam Rector Center for Service and Action shared, “While we applaud his service and activism off campus, we would be remiss if we did not talk about the role he has played on campus with First To Go since 2019, where he is a lead student program coordinator and research assistant.”
The Raymunde McKay, R.S.H.M. Award is presented to graduating seniors in recognition of outstanding leadership throughout their entire undergraduate careers. The recipients are:
Isabella Barajas
Veronica Backer Peral
Brion Dennis
Griffin Devine
Kylie Francisco
Ethan Frisone
Claire Kosewic
Jessica Laar
Haley Laha
Michael Liu
Kelly Lu
Abigail Manullang
Quinton Markett
Dylan Marusich
Mirian Melendez
Cameron Parra
Kamilah Roca-Datzer
Erin Schroeder
Leslie Sepulveda Ochoa
Declan Tomlinson
Alexa Walls
Mollie Williams
Jaren Wright
The Alfred Kilp, S.J. Award is given to third year students who, in the past year, have demonstrated a high degree of service and promise for continued involvement in co-curricular leadership.
Sophia Akin
Claribel Alcantar
Masah AlRabah
Chris Benis
Samuel Camper
Brisa Gutierrez
Katherine Hernandez
Gabriella Jeakle
Scarlett Manning
Amira Mahomed
Emily Mendieta
Christina Noravian
Jackson Oehmler
Nona Pittman
John Reichmuth
Ashley Salisbury
Daniel Zegarra
The Renee L. Harrangue, Ph.D. Award honors the unique accomplishments of our second-year students and encourages their continued involvement in campus life, service, and leadership.
Claire Davis
Anna Doherty
Jesus Estrada
Grace Foreman
Jordan Fray
Drew Hartz
Gabriel Mouritzen
Margaret Quigg
Aiden Spagnoli
Sarah-Jane Thomson
Abbey Wineglass
Bailey Woinarowicz
The Peg Dolan, R.S.H.M. Award was presented to first-year students who have demonstrated service and leadership within their first year and exceptional promise to remain involved during their time at LMU.
Audrey Fry
Julia Novis
Andrea Payre Madrigal
Khalid Stewart
Jennifer Woo
Alexis Santos-Alvarado