Four University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service students were announced as award winners at Saturday’s reception for the graduating class of 2018 at Sturgis Hall.
The Shannon Butler Bridge Builder Award, recognized as the school’s top honor, went to Rebecca Ajyei. The award is named in honor of then-Clinton Foundation Deputy Director Shannon Butler, who played a key role in the opening of the Clinton School and Clinton Presidential Center.
The award is presented to a member of the graduating class who has displayed collaborative leadership skills and exemplifies the spirit of bringing people together and comes with a $1,500 award. Presented since 2008, previous winners are listed below.
Darlynton Adegor was announced as the recipient of the Dr. Tom Bruce International Student Prize. Established by the late founding Clinton School Academic Dean Tom Bruce, the award goes to a graduating student from outside the United States who has visibly contributed to world peace during their time at the Clinton School.
A graduate of Lagos State University and the Nigerian Law School, Adegor has been working with the Washington D.C.-based Syrian Emergency Task Force since June 2017. In addition to creating a community engagement program and strategy for SETF, Adegor drafted a memorandum of understanding between a German prosecutor, who had opened investigations of international crimes in Syria, and the individuals responsible for bringing evidence to court.
Brandon Treviño, a concurrent student at the UA Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law was announced as the recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
Established in collaboration with the Sullivan Foundation and organized by former director of field service education Marie Lindquist, this award goes to the graduating student who best serves others. The selection committee is comprised of three first-year students appointed by the first-year class representative.
More than 70 colleges and universities across the country present this award, named for New York lawyer, civic leader, and philanthropist Algernon Sydney Sullivan.
The academic award, voted on by Clinton School faculty, was presented to Hannah Bahn. Bahn completed her Capstone project at the Thaden School in Bentonville Ark., where she identified best practices for community-based learning in secondary school settings and developed a set of recommendations. She will join the faculty at Thaden upon graduation.
Previous Shannon Butler Bridge Builder Award Winners
2008: Julie Gehrki
2009: J.D. Lowery
2010: Harvell Howard
2011: Lindsey Johnson
2012: Anatoliy Shatkovskyy
2013: Andrea Price
2014: Allie Rouse
2015: Brandon Mathews
2016: Ashley-Brooke Moses
2017: Thurman Green
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