Haille Cox, Lauren Mott, Jake Piccini, and Shawn Ratcliff are among ten University of Nebraska–Lincoln students honored with Student Luminary Awards for their exceptional leadership and commitment to improving campus life.
The awards, which are presented annually to eight undergraduate and two graduate students, were announced during a campus reception March 13. Those selected demonstrate a significant and active commitment to inclusion, are advocates for positive change, initiate activities that help every Husker feel valued, strive for personal well-being and model academic excellence inside and outside the classroom.
Each student was nominated by faculty or staff members on campus and will receive $1,000.
Cox, a junior English and sociology major from Bellevue, was honored as a Student Luminary for her leadership roles in Nebraska’s Abel-Sandoz and Neihardt residence halls. After serving as a resident assistant for the past two years, former supervisors noted Cox’s commitment to building relationships with students and contributing to a positive living environment.
Mott, a junior biological sciences major from Omaha, has spent her college career mentoring other students in STEM subjects and researching through UCARE how Nebraska organic chemistry courses can be taught more effectively. She is also a member of the Honors Program and serves as a peer mentor for its first-year students.
A senior computer science and management major from Lincoln, Piccini splits his time between a variety of campus organizations. He is the president of Spectrum, Nebraska's LGBTQA+ student organization, and coordinates educational and social programming as part of his role. One of those events is the homecoming Rainbow Ball, which he started two years ago.
Piccini also serves on the executive boards of oSTEM and the Kauffman Residents Association, where he is a wing representative and cultural committee chair.
Ratcliff, a sociology graduate student from Collinsville, Virginia, earned a Student Luminary Award for his work advocating for fellow graduate students. He is president of the university’s Graduate Student Association and is heavily involved in the university’s Graduate Council.
Ratcliff has also participated in training by the Executive Vice Chancellor’s Office on facilitating civil discourse in learning spaces and became a certified UndocuAlly through the Office of Academic and Intellectual Services.
