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2024 Exemplo Awards

exemplo capstone awards logoStudent Life’s area of Student Engagement is comprised of five of the division’s departments that specialize in supporting the growth and development of students through active participation in experiential learning opportunities. These five departments are the Center for Service and Leadership (CSL), The University of Alabama Student Center, Student Involvement, Student Governance and Citizenship (SGA) and University Programs (UP). On April 9, 2024, Student Engagement held the 36th annual Exemplo Capstone Awards (formerly Service and Leadership Awards) to honor individual students, student organizations and full-time staff members who “serve compassionately, engage masterfully and live boldly.”

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Cultivating Change on Campus

hannah standing with her arms crossed in a white dress holding her crimson red graduation cap standing in front of a building with large glass doorsThe Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC) at The University of Alabama (UA) serves victims of interpersonal violence through confidential counseling services and advocates for gender equity across all conceivable avenues. From counseling to support groups and more, the WGRC provides constant care and support to anyone on the Capstone’s campus who needs their service. However, not every student who interacts with the WGRC needs its services. Some, like UA alumna Hannah Telken from Belleville, Illinois, are simply passionate about the work that the Center does for their peers and want to help.

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Improving Alabama, Improving the World

photo of lewis wearing a regular suit and tie and smiling into the camera as a large white building stands in the backgroundWhen you think about experiential learning and leadership development in Student Life, the office of Student Conduct may not be the first one that pops into your head. But for UA senior Lewis Fischer, this office (in conjunction with UA’s Student Government Association (SGA)) has provided a great deal of learning and development opportunities as he helps oversee cases of student conduct as an associate justice.

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Turning Dancing Into Miracles

rachel frick wearing a blue shirt and standing in front of a small tree as she smiles into the cameraThe art of dance has existed for thousands of years across the globe. Historically, it’s been a way for people to celebrate or rejoice for any number of reasons. Today, many people see dancing as a way to stay in shape or even just to have fun. For others, it’s a serious passion. Rachel Frick, a native of Tupelo, Mississippi and a rising senior at The University of Alabama (UA), has pursued her desire to dance for several years. She was a member of Tupelo’s Civic Ballet company in high school and now pursues a double major of dance and communicative disorders. 

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Making Community Where You Are

photo of a young man in a suit and tie looking at the camera and smiling with his left shoulder pointed slightly forward and a gray background behind him

Alabama native Nick Tolbert knew he wanted to study politics after he graduated from high school. He considered attending a university in Washington, D.C., but he also wanted to remain close to his family. Fortunately, he knew of a university where he could get a prized education without going too far from home: The University of Alabama. Nick turned his sights to Tuscaloosa and was delighted to find that UA offered him everything he was looking for. He began his freshman year in 2020 with a double major in political science and philosophy.

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Impact Through Service

josie ricketts headshotWhen Josie Ricketts began applying for college in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, The University of Alabama stood out among her options. Her older brother attended the Capstone, so she and her parents visited campus several times to see him and join in the fun of Bama game days. Her brother was also involved in many clubs and organizations on campus, so her existing knowledge of the different involvement opportunities excited her. All of these variables came together when it was time to make the ultimate choice, and Josie soon found herself cheering on the Crimson Tide as a student at UA!

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Multiple Students Celebrated in VMA Scholarship Ceremony

chevron and willcher family scholarship recipients

One way that the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA) at The University of Alabama (UA) supports students is by coordinating with the University and external partners to award scholarships to student veterans, service members, dependents, family members or survivors. On Sept. 8, 2023, the VMA hosted a scholarship ceremony that awarded seven bright, motivated students at the Capstone for their accomplishments both in and out of the classroom.

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Viprav’s Journey to Support All Students

picture of raju posing with his doctorate degree More than 9,000 miles separate the cities of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Bengaluru, India. But when Viprav Raju considered enrolling at The University of Alabama, the distance didn’t bother him much. For him, UA was already somewhat familiar; a family member had already attended and graduated from the Capstone. So, Viprav decided to join the legacy and began classes at UA in 2016, working towards his master’s degree in electrical engineering.  

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