Ex.C.E.L. Award

Presented by

Excellence in Community, Education, and Leadership

Presented annually during Homecoming, the Excellence in Community, Education & Leadership (Ex.C.E.L.) Award was established by KU Alumni, Student Engagement Center, and KU Memorial Unions to celebrate student leaders who make a meaningful impact on campus through their service and engagement.

 

This award recognizes two outstanding KU students who demonstrate exceptional leadership, strong communication skills, active involvement in the KU community, academic achievement, and the ability to collaborate effectively across a wide variety of student groups and organizations.

 

Five applicants will be selected as finalists and recognized throughout the week of Homecoming. Two winners will be awarded a $250 stipend, an award plaque, and be announced during the Homecoming Football Game.

Application

The Ex.C.E.L. Award is presented by:

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

  • Must be a full-time junior or senior enrolled at the University of Kansas.
  • Must fully complete the online application; incomplete applications will not be considered.
  • Past Ex.C.E.L. Award recipients are not eligible to apply.

Application Process

Students interested in applying for the award must submit:

  • A completed online application
  • Resume or CV
  • An unofficial transcript
  • Personal Statement discussing your qualifications for this award based on your KU experiences.
  • Contact information for one reference
    • The reference individual will receive a short survey to complete, and must be a KU faculty, staff, administrator, or representative of a community service agency.

Timeline

  • Online application opens: Monday, Aug. 24 at 8 a.m.
  • Online application closes: Sunday, Sept. 20 at 11:59 p.m.
  • Virtual interviews: Monday, Sept. 28 – Friday, Oct. 2
  • Finalist notifications: Monday, Oct. 12 by 5 p.m.
  • If able, finalists will be asked to attend the following events:
    • Far Above Awards Ceremony | Thursday, Oct. 22, Jayhawk Welcome Center
    • Homecoming Parade | Friday, Oct. 23, Jayhawk Blvd
    • Homecoming Football Game | Saturday, Oct. 24, David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium

Questions

Please contact the Homecoming team at homecoming@kualumni.org.

Application

Please complete the application below and upload the required materials.

Award Recipients

1990s

1991 — Margaret Hu and Louie Lopez

1992 — Jill Russell and Dustin Daugherty

1993 — Carmen San Martin and Trevor Thompson

1994 — Jennifer Ford and Marc Wilson

1995 — Jill Bechtel and Lorraine Claassen

1996 — Amy Turnbull (Lawrence) and Ronald Chen

1997 — Sasha Flores(Hutchinson) and Aroop Kumar Pal (Lawrence)

1998 — Karen Isley (Sylvania, Ohio) and Kevin Yoder (Hutchinson)

1999 — Brenda Ting-Fai Chung (Hong Kong, China) and Eric Rush (Topeka)

2000s

2000 — Kimberly Fuchs (Merriam) and Curtis Sloan (Powhattan)

2001 — Anneliese Stoever (Overland Park) and Robert McKenney (Clinton, Mo.)

2002 — Erin Michaelis (Hays) and Irakli Mirazashvili (Ness City)

2003 — Casey Collier (Shawnee) and Jacob Williams (Topeka)

2004 — Susan Henry (Fort Scott) and Gaston Araoz (La Paz, Bolivia)

2005 — Jenna Sheldon-Sherman (Lawrence) and Greyson Clymer (Prairie Village)

2006 — Lauren Pierson (Prairie Village) and Scott Ferguson (Leawood)

2007 — Ashley Bloom (Hutchinson) and Peter Curzon (Phoenix, Ariz.)

2008 — Rachel Burchfield (Topeka) and Nathan Mack (Lawrence)

2009 — Ashley Moser (Topeka) and Matt Enriquez (Topeka)

2010s

2010 — Tonia Salas (Alameda, Calif.) and Michael Wade Smith (Goodland)

2011 — Emily Lamb (Lawrence) and Hunter Hess (McPherson)

2012 — Kathryn Hoven (Chester, N.J.) and Brandon Rogers (Plano, Texas)

2013 — Natalie Scott (Topeka) and Bryne Gonzalez (Topeka)

2014 — Ellie Eastes (Pratt) and Graham Naasz (Overland Park)

2015 — Hannah Reinhart (Parkville, Missouri) and Evan Traylor (Edmond, Oklahoma)

2016 — Jordan Hildenbrand (Blue Springs, Missouri) and Abdoulie Njai (Wichita)

2017 — Sana Cheema (Hays, Kansas) and Zoya Khan (Overland Park, Kansas)

2018 — Jose Montoya (Los Lunas, New Mexico) and Jonnette Oakes (Topeka)

2019 — Tiara Floyd (Junction City), Daphne Lin (Coffeyville), and Jalynn Tann (Centennial, Colorado)

2020s

2020 — Elaine Pope (Overland Park) and Adrian Romero (Tegucigalpa, Honduras)

2021 — Javen Betts (Kansas City, Kansas), Nikki Brown (Kansas City, Missouri), and Lily Nguyen (Wichita)

2022 — Aylar Atadurdyyeva (Ashgabat, Turkmenistan), Miracle Emenuga (Lagos, Nigeria), and Mikayla Leader (Wichita)

2023 — Libby Frost (WaKeeney) and Thanh Tan Nguyen (Phu Yen, Vietnam)

2024 — Emma Saville (Mulvane) and Aarush Sehgal (Chandigarh, India)

2025 — Hannah Kaiser (Leipzig, Germany) and Sarah Walsh (Leawood)

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