On April 14, the Oakland University Board of Trustees recognized three undergraduate students for distinguishing themselves as outstanding scholars and leaders on campus and in the community.
“These are three outstanding students among our graduating senior class,” said Glenn McIntosh, senior vice president for student affairs and the university’s chief diversity officer.
The Alfred G. Wilson and Matilda R. Wilson awards – the most prestigious honors the university presents to students – have recognized OU’s top male and female scholars and leaders since 1965. The awards commemorate the Wilson family, whose generous donation of land and financial resources helped establish the university in 1957.
The Human Relations Award recognizes a student who has made a valuable social impact within the university community. A committee reviews nominations from faculty, staff and students and selects the award recipients.
Recommended candidates are ultimately approved as honorees by the vice president for student affairs and chief diversity officer, and the president. This year’s honorees include:
Alfred G. Wilson Award: Jared Mark Barnett
Barnett entered Oakland University as a transfer student from Oakland Community College by way of Pontiac High School in Pontiac, Mich. to pursue a major in Sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences. He has demonstrated academic excellence by maintaining a 3.91 grade point average while working as a full-time employee at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital; achieving Dean's List for each of his semesters at OU; being awarded the Donald Warren Outstanding Academic Achievement Award; being a two-time recipient of the Hubert Price, Jr. Memorial Scholarship for Social Sciences Scholarship; and being recognized by his professors for his diligence and significant dedication to learning.
Barnett has also demonstrated widespread campus leadership as a volunteer in the university's COVID-19 Archive Project, which was featured on a Fox-2 News segment; and various undergraduate research projects that played a large role in his transformation to becoming a high-achieving learner at OU.
He has dedicated himself to service by interning with the Baldwin Center in Pontiac, Mich., assisting school-age children with valuable life-skills, tutoring them on various homework assignments and working with their creative writing activities; and volunteering his time as a member of WeRun313, a run-based organization in Detroit that connects like-minded individuals through running to help build a healthier, prosperous community.
Matilda R. Wilson Award: Angelica Noel Alexopoulos
Alexopoulos entered Oakland University as a student from the Utica Academy for International Studies in Sterling Heights, Mich. to pursue a major in Biomedical Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. She has demonstrated academic excellence by maintaining a 4.0 grade point average; achieving Dean's List honors for each of her semesters at OU; being awarded the Honors College Merit Scholarship; and receiving the Undergraduate Distinguished Achievement Award.
Alexopoulos has demonstrated widespread campus leadership as the lead teaching assistant for the College of Arts and Sciences; a private tutor for K- 12 students in the Rochester area, teaching them fundamental concepts of math and science; as a competitive figure skater and figure skating coach for youth and young adults; and by taking the responsibility as the primary caregiver for her father, who diagnosed with ALS.
She has dedicated herself to community service by volunteering at Ascension Hospital in inpatient physical therapy; building homes for needy families through Habitat for Humanity; packaging and delivering food for needy families at Gleaners' Mercado Food Hub; and caring for animals at the Detroit Animal Welfare Group.
Human Relations Award: Parrish “P.J.” Waymon-Van Roberts
Roberts entered Oakland University as a student from Groves High School in Beverly Hills, Mich. to pursue a major in Public Relations and Strategic in the College of Arts and Sciences. He has demonstrated academic excellence by maintaining a 3.1 grade point average; being a CORE ambassador in the Center for Multicultural Initiatives; being an orientation group leader in the Office of New Student Programs; and by being recognized by his professors for his diligence and significant dedication to learning.
Roberts has demonstrated widespread campus leadership by serving as the diversity and inclusion director for Oakland University Student Congress; the director of diverse events with the Student Program Board; a member of the Gold Vibrations A'Cappella group in the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance; and serving as a mentor and advocate to students experiencing academic and mental health challenges.
He has also dedicated himself to serving the campus community by working closely with senior university leadership to create a comprehensive anti-discrimination language template to include in all course syllabi, helping to foster a culture where students could feel comfortable expressing themselves in the classroom free of discrimination and have transformative conversations with their peers and faculty.
To learn more about the Wilson and Human Relations Awards at Oakland University, visit www.oakland.edu/deanofstudents/dean_awards.
Original source can be found here.
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