“Here at CC, we conquer the world one block at a time,” senior Zoey Roueche ’24 told the crowd gathered in Shove Memorial Chapel during her opening remarks for this year’s Honors Convocation on May 7. Roueche, President of the Blue Key Honor Society and captain of the Women’s Club Soccer team, was chosen to deliver the opening message and share her stories of camaraderie with the student honorees. She acknowledged that hard work does not go unnoticed, whether through academic rigor, impactful engagement, or creating the change they wish to see in the world.
Roueche reached out to her fellow seniors with words of shared community, recounting their time at CC and the challenges they overcame: the pandemic, the isolation, and the moments of doubt. “But through it all, we persevered,” she said. “We leaned on each other for support. We lifted each other up when we stumbled and emerged stronger and more resilient than ever before. Let’s not forget to celebrate how far we’ve come.”
With that, a total of 276 awards were bestowed upon students, faculty, and staff. A member of each academic department handed out awards for academic performance and undergraduate research, dedication to the discipline, and creation of social change in the wider community, among other attributes.
Some of the all-college award recipients included Nathalie San Fratello ’25, who won the Henri “Skip” Meis 1963 Outstanding Student Leader Award; Hongli Zeng ’25, who won the Bill Hochman Prize on War, Violence, and Human Values, with Emphasis on the Human Experience of War; and Chaplain Kate Holbrook, who won the Theodore Roosevelt Collins Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award for her voice in campus values of inclusion, equality, community, and social justice.
The Presidential Awards, presented by CC President L. Song Richardson, were given to Annabelle Swenson ’25, who was honored with the Ann Rice Memorial Award, for a junior woman acknowledging her personal contributions to the goals of a liberal arts education; Atquetzali Quiroz ’24, who won the Dreamkeeper Award, which is given to a student who’s demonstrated an active commitment to multiculturalism and improving the quality of campus life for historically oppressed peoples; and James Settles ’24, who won the Van Diest Award for outstanding student-athlete who demonstrates sound character, scholarship, and citizenship.
“Each year at Honors Convocation, I am overwhelmed by the remarkable achievements of our students, faculty, and staff,” says Richardson. “For many, this recognition is just a starting point. I have no doubt our awardees will continue to make an impact on ºÚÁϳԹÏ, in the broader community, and around the world.”
Other awards included those handed out by CC’s Student Government Association and other honorary organizations, Community Engagement Awards, and multiple scholarships and fellowships.