A student who has contributed the most to building community at the University.

Hometown: South Portland, Maine

Major: Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences

Grace is “the ripple effect” in action. Not only does she build community through her activities on campus, but she nurtures leadership ability in others, so that they, too, become part of building a stronger, more welcoming community.

As a CAS Peer Advisor, Grace built spaces for the larger CAS student community to come together and find fellowship and connect. She has also been the “go-student” to help prospective Anthropology students find their footing, and is known for being open, honest, and able to empower students with a sense of confidence in their choices.

She was on the ground floor of the AUX experience as a Peer Facilitator since the beginning of the program, working with faculty members to facilitate discussions with first-year students on tough topics and continuing to support students even after their time in her class has ended.

In her work with Orientation – first as Orientation Leader and then as Orientation Chair of Programming -- Grace helped welcome new students to campus and worked with AU staff to design and implement programming for transfer and first-year students to the community.

She has been active with AU’s chapter of the national coed service fraternity Alphi Phi Omega, and every month, she volunteers at DC organizations working in education and food insecurity.

Her “love and genuine care for others” shines through in her work, and has helped those around her to build lasting relationship and find a sense of community on campus and beyond.