The 2015 Leadership Awards Night at Florida State University honored individuals across campus that engaged in leadership learning. Leadership learning is the continued process of an individual’s acquisition, practice, reflection, and application of leadership knowledge, skills, and values. Through this concept of leadership learning each student, faculty and staff member can make a difference on campus and in the community, the ultimate contribution and outcome of leadership endeavors. Several College of Social Work students, including recent graduates, were acknowledged for their leadership activities and contributions.

Students Lindsay Greene, BSW (2015) and Michael Barnes, MSW (2015) received Academic Leadership Awards for social work, which is presented to one undergraduate and/or one graduate student within each college based on academic performance, university service, and other contributions both in and out of the classroom. Both were also recently featured in the latest issue of the College’s magazine Communitas.

Lindsay was the recipient of the 2014 Social Work Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award that funded her research project, “Expand Peru: Casa de Bebes:A Comprehensive Evaluation of a Childcare Program in Rural Peru” that was the focus of her honor’s thesis entitled, “The impact of Study Abroad Experience on the Sensitivity to Human Rights, Expression of Empathy, and Level of Cultural Competency.” She graduated at the end of the spring 2015 semester with a double major in international affairs and social work and was the student speaker at the College’s 2015 spring convocation. She plans to pursue her MSW at FSU this fall.

Michael Barnes was a recipient of the Mary DiNitto Endowed Scholarship and the C. Aaron McNeece Field Education Scholarship. She was named the 2014 National Association of Social Workers Florida Chapter- Big Bend Unit (NASW-FL) Student of the Year. He also served as the student representative for both the NASW-FL Big Bend Unit and the College of Social Work’s Field Advisory Committee. He also recently had a social work poem published in Social Work Today magazine.

Rachael Mack, BSW (2015) received the Academic Leadership Award in undergraduate studies and the Sean A. Pittman Award. Selected by the Leadership Awards Night Selection Committee. The Pittman award recognizes a student who demonstrated outstanding leadership and dedication to the student body, university and community with significant contributions to the welfare and support of African-American students. Rachael was inducted into the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) Hall of Fame in 2015 and was among a select group of students to be inducted into the Garnet and Gold Scholars Society that recognizes the well-rounded student that excels in the classroom and beyond in the areas of leadership, internship, service, international, and research.

And last, but not least, Emily Singer, BSW (2015) was awarded the Student Seminole Award, for students who have made special contributions to the university in the areas of leadership and service. Not only an active member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Singer completed two certificates at FSU in leadership studies and interdepartmental developmental disabilities. In 2013, she participated in the TEDxFSU: Being Aware of Being conference, reflecting on her experiences at Camp Barnabas, a camp in Missouri serving people with disabilities and special needs. She also completed a leadership development internship with the FSU Center for Leadership and Social Change that allowed her to work on the inaugural Women’s Leadership Instituteand to facilitate Leadership LOGIC, a two-day leadership development program for students. She was also inducted into the Garnet and Gold Scholars Society along with her peer Rachael Mack.