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The American College Personnel Association (ACPA) has honored two M.A. in Higher Education students, Nelson Ysabel G’22 and Jordan Ballantyne G’23, with Outstanding Graduate Student Awards at the recent ACPA Conference in St. Louis, Missouri from March 6 to March 9.

ACPA is a national professional association for student affairs educators that seeks to “transform higher education by creating and sharing influential scholarship, shaping critically reflective practice and advocating for equitable and inclusive learning environments.”

Ysabel, the graduate apprentice in the Center for Leadership, received the Erik M. Colon Outstanding Graduate Student Award at the 2022 ACPA Latinx Network Awards held during the ACPA Conference. This award honors an outstanding graduate student who seeks to integrate their innovative research and practice with the needs of the Latinx student population.

In their nomination letter, Luis Garay, director of the Gender and LGBTQIA Center (GLC), highlighted Ysabel’s efforts to develop a Queer and Trans People of Color (QTPOC) initiative for ���ϲ����� students. In this project, Nelson has benchmarked QTPOC efforts at ���ϲ�����’s peer and aspirant institutions as well as provided leadership in the hiring and supervising of two student coordinators, establishing partnerships with campus stakeholders and engaging the QTPOC campus community through events and social media.

Garay also praised Ysabel’s work in the Center for Leadership, including the development of an Inclusive Leadership workshop that provides students with space to make connections between diversity, equity, inclusion and leadership. Looking beyond professional accomplishments, Garay celebrated Nelson’s efforts to lead with care and compassion and his commitment to fostering student power, creativity and wellness.

Ballantyne, the graduate apprentice in New Student Programs, received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the ACPA Commission for Admissions, Orientation and First-Year Experience. This award is presented to a full-time graduate student who has greatly contributed to the admissions, orientation or first-year experience programs at their institution; to research and scholarship in these areas; and/or to professional practice in these areas.

In her graduate apprentice role, Ballantyne directly oversees many facets of the New Student Programs portfolio, including all staff recruitment, training and support; assessment for New Student Orientation; the creation of a transfer orientation experience; and leading the planning and implementation for ���ϲ�����’s spring orientation program.

In her nomination letter, Emily Krechel, director of New Student Programs (NSP), highlighted Ballantyne’s passion and drive for implementing positive change on campus as well as her exemplary work developing NSP student leaders.

“She spends time getting to know each individual, showing care, empathy and a desire to get to know them as students, leaders and, most importantly, as humans. Her person-first mentality allows her to connect easily with the students as she works with them to plan our training and orientation program,” Krechel said.

Rozana Carducci, director of the M.A. in Higher Education program, also offered praise for both Ysabel’s and Ballantyne’s campus contributions.

“As evidenced in the accomplishments highlighted by their nominators, Jordan and Nelson are indeed outstanding graduate students who are positively influencing the ���ϲ����� community,” Carducci said. “Their work embodies the scholar-practitioner commitments we seek to foster within the MHE program – a commitment to integrating disciplinary knowledge and professional practice in the interest of transforming higher education institutions and facilitating student learning and development. I am thrilled ACPA has honored Nelson and Jordan for their outstanding contributions to the student affairs profession.”