MLK Spirit Awards (Central Campus)

The Central Campus Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award program honors undergraduate students from central campus schools and colleges who best exemplify the leadership and extraordinary vision of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nominees and awardees will be recognized at this award ceremony which will highlight the various ways in which our students have worked to carry on the spirit of Dr. King.

2023 Awardees

Zeinab Alhashemi
Major: Public Policy
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Tess Carichner
Major: Nursing
Minor: Global Health
School of Nursing

Mahnoor Imran
Major: Public Policy
Minor: History, Writing
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy

Karma Karira
Major: Business Administration
Minor: Political Science
Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Gabi Lilly
Major: Elementary Education
Minor: Intergroup Relations Education
School of Education

Kyra Newman
Major: Political Science
Minor: Law, Justice, and Social Change
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

Buraq Oral
Major: Biology, Health, & Society
Minor: Community Action & Social Change
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

Emmanuel Orozco Castellanos
Major: International Studies (International Security, Norms, & Cooperation)
Minor: Translation Studies; Latin American and Caribbean Studies (Human Rights)
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

Roman Rhone
Major: Business
Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Isabel Rodriguez
Major: Sociology: Law, Justice, and Social Change
Minor: Intergroup Relations
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

Kayla Tate
Major: Creative Writing and Literature
Minor: Community Action and Social Change (CASC) & Sweetland Minor in Writing
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

Annie Wang
Major: Business Administration
Minor: Digital Studies
Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Rebeca Yanes
Major: Psychology
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

Nomination Information - Eligibility and Process

Eligibility

Eligible students must be enrolled full-time as undergraduate student in a central campus program, including:

Business
Dentistry
Education
Information
Kinesiology
Literature, Science, and the Arts
Nursing
Pharmacy
Public Health
Public Policy
Social Work (CASC)

Nominated students must be in good academic standing (minimum 2.0 GPA).

Nomination Process

U-M Ann Arbor faculty and staff may nominate a student for a Central Campus MLK Spirit Award by providing the information requested below in the nomination form including a brief explanation (300 words) of why the nominee should receive this honor.

Nominated students will subsequently be asked to submit an essay describing their work to foster equity, inclusivity, and social justice. A nominee will only be considered if their student essay is submitted by the essay deadline (typically 4-5 weeks after they have been nominated).

Selection Criteria

The MLK Spirit Award Steering Committee encourages nominators to consider individuals who have distinguished themselves by:

Building inclusive communities and equitable spaces
Pursuing social justice by challenging oppressive norms
Engaging with diverse communities to promote cross-cultural collaboration
Confronting systemic injustice(s)
Commitment to racial justice

The Spirit Awards Selection Committee is comprised of faculty and staff from the participating central campus schools and colleges.

Questions? lsa.uged.events@umich.edu

Co-sponsored by the University of Michigan Schools of Education, Nursing, Information, Kinesiology, Public Policy, Public Health, Business, and Social Work (Community Action and Social Change Undergraduate Minor), as well as the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

MLK Spirit Awards Planning Committee

Thomas Bell, Stephen M. Ross School of Business
Anthony Berryhill, Pharmacy
Patricia Coleman-Burns, School of Nursing
Shannon Davis, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Susan Guindi, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Devon Keen, School of Information
Kelly Maxwell, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
Henry Meares, School of Education
Whitney Peoples, School of Public Health
Diana Seales, School of Social Work
DeWoyne White, School of Kinesiology

Past Awardee Messages

Click below for full playlist of alumni messages.

View Past Awardees

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