Women’s Society presents 2016 awards, scholarships

three women talking
During the Women’s Society of Washington University’s annual meeting April 19, seniors Ally Brabant (left) and Michelle Recto, winners of the Harriet K. Switzer Leadership Award, visit with Switzer (center). (Photo: Mary Butkus/Washington University)

Leaders of the Women’s Society of Washington University announced the winners of the Harriet K. Switzer Leadership Award and the Elizabeth Gray Danforth Scholarship during the group’s annual membership meeting April 19.

The Switzer Leadership Award was presented to seniors Ally Brabant and Michelle Recto. This award recognizes outstanding undergraduates who made a significant contribution to Washington University in St. Louis during their undergraduate years and demonstrate exceptional potential for leadership.

Brabant, an environmental policy major in Arts & Sciences, with a minor in accounting, joined the Delta Gamma sorority early on and served as a leader through the Women’s Panhellenic Association. She also advocated for the addition of a ninth sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, at the university. After graduation, Brabant will begin her career as a product manager for Graphiq, a technology company in Santa Barbara, Calif.

As an undergraduate, Recto served as both a teaching assistant for the Women in Science FOCUS class as well as an undergraduate leader for the university’s Catalysts for Change outreach program. She also served on the executive council of Campus Y and as a team leader for the university’s Service First Program. Recto is set to graduate in May with a double-major in biochemistry and in women, gender and sexuality studies, both in Arts & Sciences.

The Women’s Society also announced the winners of the Elizabeth Gray Danforth Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship awarded annually to outstanding community-college transfer students. This year’s recipients were Viola Bordon and Tim Yang.

Bordon will graduate from the two-year associate of fine arts program at St. Louis Community College-Florissant Valley, where she maintained a 4.0 GPA. She plans to continue her creative studies and interests in painting, photography, printmaking, and sculpture by pursuing a bachelor’s degree in fine arts at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.

Yang, a graduate of St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, served as a member of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and was nominated to the All-USA Academic Team. He will be recognized for his placement on the All-Missouri Academic Team this spring in Jefferson City, Mo.

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