RWU Celebrates Student Excellence, Leadership at Student Achievement Awards

May 11, 2026By Jordan J. Phelan '19

Students, faculty, staff, and families gathered in the Campus Recreation Center Field House on May 3 to celebrate the achievements of RWU students at the annual Student Achievement Awards.

BRISTOL, R.I. - Roger Williams University celebrated the achievements, leadership, and service of its students at the annual Student Achievement Awards ceremony on May 3, honoring students whose academic excellence, campus involvement, and commitment to community have helped shape the RWU experience.

Hosted by the Division of Student Life, the time-honored ceremony brought together students, families, faculty, and staff to recognize accomplishments that extend across the classroom, campus life, athletics, student leadership, service, and civic engagement.

"The Student Achievement Awards recognizes the many ways our students distinguish themselves through co-curricular involvement, leadership, service, and academic achievement," said Carol Sacchetti, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Programs, Leadership, & Orientation. "This ceremony showcases what our students are doing both inside and outside of the classroom, and it is a wonderful opportunity to honor them in front of their families, friends, faculty, and staff who have supported them along the way."

In addition to student awards, Professor of Philosophy Robert Blackburn was recognized with the Dr. Mark Gould Award for Commitment to Student Learning, an honor sponsored by the Roger Williams University Student Senate and presented to a faculty member whose dedication to students exemplifies the late Dr. Mark Gould's commitment to teaching, mentorship, and student learning.

Professor of Philosophy Robert Blackburn is recognized by Margaret Everett, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, with the Dr. Mark Gould Award for Commitment to Student Learning, honoring his dedication to students inside and outside the classroom.

Blackburn's recognition comes as he concludes an extraordinary 58-year career at RWU. Since arriving in 1968, before the Bristol campus had opened, Blackburn has helped shape generations of students through his teaching, leadership, and belief in the interconnected nature of knowledge. Beyond the classroom, he served as Dean of the School of Humanities, contributed to interdisciplinary curriculum development, and co-founded the Socrates Café, a long-running campus tradition that brings students, faculty, and staff together for thoughtful discussion on questions spanning ethics, politics, science, art, and everyday life.

The following students received awards:

Outstanding Admissions Ambassador Awards

The Outstanding Admissions Ambassador Awards recognize and commend students who best reflect the mission and philosophy of the Office of Admission.

• Olivia DaSilva '26

• Jordana Hersh '26

• Dominic Monti '27

Charles J. Kelly Health Service Award

The Charles J. Kelley Award recognizes a student for outstanding work in health promotion to the RWU community.

• Meghan Harvey '26

Title IX Violence Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness Award

The Title IX Violence Prevention & Sexual Assault Awareness Recognition Award honors students who have worked closely with the Title IX office over the past year.

• Amy Howell '26

Sustainability Award

The Roger Williams University Sustainability Award recognizes a student who made great strides in promoting sustainable practices within our campus community.

• Frankie Sparrow '27

Club Member of the Year

The Club and Organization Members of the Year awards were created to recognize the efforts of Club and Organization members who continuously went above and beyond their duties.

• Ronald Ayers '28

• Lola Bergeron '28

Organization Member of the Year

• Paisley McKenna '29

• Dorothy Riley '28

James R. Russo Award for Athletic Academic Excellence

The James R. Russo Award is given annually by the Department of Athletics to senior student-athletes who have the highest grade-point averages.

• Eli Labell '26

• Izzy Unsworth '26

Class Awards

Class Awards honor students of each class year who live out the mission of the university and their love of the community through service to the university.

Class of 2026

• Kya Daniels '26

• Amy Howell '26

• Anthony Merenda '26

• Alexis Theberge '26

Class of 2027

• Blessed Adeoye '27

• Iker Rodriguez Alcocer '27

• Dominic Monti '27

• Madison Nash '27

Class of 2028

• Hannah Conceicao '28

• Dorothy Riley '28

• Jonathan Spiller '28

Class of 2029

• Antonella Coronado Londono '29

• Jacob Jaslow '29

• Lily Sawyer '29

Intercultural Values and Service Award

The Intercultural Center Values and Service Award honors students who have demonstrated sustained commitment to the values of the Intercultural Center initiatives through their engagement and service.

• Cayden Arana '28

• Ryan Lukowicz '28

• Branalysa Varela '26

Resident Assistant of the Year

The Resident Assistant of the Year Award is given to an outstanding staff member who goes above and beyond their responsibilities.

• Madison Nash '27

Commitment to the Department of Residence Life & Housing Award

• Kirill Lazebnyy '26

Peer Mentor of the Year Award

The Peer Mentor of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding Peer Mentor who demonstrated commitment, reliability, professionalism, and enthusiasm throughout the year.

• Lucas Matthews '26

International Student Leadership Award

The International Student Leadership Award was created to recognize a student for their dedication and commitment to campus internationalization and international engagement.

• Jonathan Kervey Jocelyn '26

• Espoir Kamanzi '26

Dr. John J. Kind Emerging Student Leader Award

• Gabriel Reis '28

Melissa Carrasquillo Award for Intercultural Citizenship

The Melissa Carrasquillo Award for Intercultural Citizenship is awarded to a graduating senior who demonstrated exceptional commitment to social justice and inclusion.

• Coralee Garcia '26

Student Senate Scholarship in Activism

• Piper Hunt '28

• Jorge Jimenez '29

• Ryan Lukowicz '28

Student Senate Scholarship in Academic Achievement Scholarships

• Grace Harper '26

• Lukas Huffman '28

• Chace Kirwan '27

Student Senate Academic Resource Scholarship

• Natalie Forno '26

• Julia Kirrane '28

• Diana Micalizzi '26

• Hannah Minnis '27

Dr. J. Harold G. Way Scholarship

The Dr. J. Harold G. Way Scholarship Award was established in memory of Dr. Harold Way, a former university faculty member from 1969 to 1974. This award is based upon a student's strong academic standing and their contribution to the university community.

• Emma Morin '27

Dr. Karen Haskell Outstanding Senior Leadership Award

The Karen R. Haskell Senior Leadership Award is named for former Dean of Students, Dr. Karen Haskell, who fully embraced sustained student leadership and engagement in the campus community.

• Chelsea King '26

• Brandon Nelson '26

• Mia Padula '26

Lt. Charles A. Henderson III Spirit Award

The Lt. Charles A. Henderson III, USN '99 Spirit Award includes a monetary award in memory of Lt. Charles A. Henderson III USN '99. It is awarded to a graduating senior with graduate school aspirations who best and most consistently demonstrates the embodiment of a true scholar.

• Rachel Cabral '26

Lt. Charles A. Henderson III Outstanding Tutor Awards

The Lt. Charles A. Henderson, USN '99 Outstanding Tutor Awards recognize three tutors - in Mathematics, Science, and Writing - who best and most consistently demonstrate superior tutoring skill and content area knowledge, commitment to the collaborative learning process, and dedication to helping and inspiring all learners to achieve success in a positive, encouraging environment.

Lt. Charles Henderson Outstanding Tutor Award in Mathematics

• Morgan Ledo '26

Lt. Charles Henderson Outstanding Tutor Award in Science

• Preston Sharrock '26

Lt. Charles Henderson Outstanding Tutor Award in Writing

• Aelan Lee '26

Presidential Core Medallion

The President's Core Values Medallion recognizes graduating students who best exemplify the core values of the institution.

Cummings School of Architecture

• Avery Bennett '26

• Olivia Horton '26

• Paige Moreau '26 (posthumous)

Mario J. Gabelli School of Business

• Kya Daniels '26

• Chelsea King '26

• Max Patenaude '26

School of Engineering, Computing and Construction Management

• Chanelle Gomez '26

• Genevieve Nelson '26

RWU Extension School

• George Alexandre '26

• Derek Galvao '26

Feinstein School of Humanities, Arts, and Education

• Corey Brown M'26

• Rachel Cabral '26

• Lucas Matthews '26

School of Justice Studies

• Coralee Garcia '26

• Elena Sewall '26

School of Law

• Caroline Stanton Chlaupek L'26

Feinstein School of Social and Natural Sciences

• Laurel Lees '26

• Branalysa Varela '26

• Lily Winsten '26