The students selected for the award have made significant contributions to the campus and community. In order to qualify, students must be outstanding in the areas of leadership, involvement and academics.
Alexander Borowski
Alexander Borowski
Borowski, a senator with the Associated Students of the University of New Mexico (ASUNM), is Interfraternity Council President, and a member of both Mortarboard and Order of Omega honor societies. He is a graduate of Manzano High School and is the son of Paula and Michael Borowski.
He attends UNM as a Regents Scholar and one of his honors professors describes him this way. "He is a first-class young scholar and a person with the social skills and cultural values to earn the confidence of others and become a leader and a creator of consensus." Borowski helped to set up a community garden at Hokona Hall, and has volunteered with ASUNM Student Special Events. He is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, a new student orientation leader and went to El Salvador with the International Medical Delegation. He works on campus and maintains an outstanding grade point average. He will graduate in December with a degree in Biology.
Damon Hudson
Damon Hudson
Hudson is an ASUNM senator, vice president of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, President of the Order of Omega, Internal Vice President of the Interfraternity Council and overall Chair of Greek Week. He founded the Food Critics Club and Greeks against Drunk Driving. Hudson graduated from El Dorado High School. His parents are Mari Dannenbaum, Mike Zufall and Jeff Hudson.
Hudson is on the UNM Dean's List, the Anderson School of Management Academic Honor Roll and has received the IFC Masonic Scholarship, the Order of Omega Scholarship and the Sigma Chi General Scholarship. He has worked as a new student orientation leader and his nominators noted that through Damon's efforts as a leader "students came to orientation as strangers and left as friends." Hudson graduates in May with a major in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Leadership.
Meena Lee
Meena Lee
Lee is president of the Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, director of the ASUNM Community Experience, vice president of recruitment for UNM Trailblazers, SUB Retail & Marketing Chairman and philanthropy chair of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She is also a resident advisor and new student orientation leader. She graduated from Highland High School, and her parents are Chisley Lee and Suline Chen.
Lee received the UNM Alumni Scholarship, the UNM Presidential Scholarship, the Leonard Engineering Scholarship and is on the Anderson School of Management Honor Roll as well as the UNM Dean's List. She received the ASUNM Rising Star Award and is a member of the NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program. Her marketing professor John Benavidez says, "Meena's success in the classroom is indicative of her incomparable work ethic, perseverance and ability to manage her time effectively." Lee is a first generation American and college student. She graduates in May with a major in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing.
Caroline Muraida
Caroline Muraida
Muraida is the president of ASUNM, the president of the UNM Chapter of the Albuquerque International Association, sergeant at arms and director of young adult membership for the League of United Latin American Citizens, public relations chair of the world affairs delegation for the Model United Nations Team and co-president of the international medical delegation to El Salvador. She is a graduate of the Albuquerque Academy. Her parents are Gerard and Jolynn Muraida.
Muraida is a National Hispanic Merit Scholar and received a grant from the Regent's Office of International Studies, as well as the Katherine Simons University College Scholarship, the ASUNM General Government Scholarship, and the UNM Performing Arts Scholarship. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Mortarboard Senior Honor Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, University College Honors Program and has received honors from the Economics Department. She is also on the UNM Dean's List. She graduates in December with a major in Economics and a major in Foreign Languages.
Miquela Ortiz
Miquela Ortiz
Ortiz is an ASUNM senator and vice-chair of outreach & appointments, vice president of the Student Affairs Initiative, and a new student orientation leader. One of the freshmen in her orientation group wrote this on her evaluation. "I am at a loss for words in describing how enjoyable my group leader Miquela Ortiz, made my experience and that of our whole group at orientation. She said our group would become family by the time orientation was over and now our group is nothing less than family." Ortiz graduated from Career Academic and Technical Academy in Albuquerque. Her parents are Rico and Angela Ortiz.
Ortiz is the online communities coordinator for the Dean of Student's Office, the safe zone coordinator for UNM's LGBTQ Resource Center, and the president of Out Womyn. She is a community assistant in Casas del Rio Student Housing and a member of the Queer Voice Roundtable. Ortiz is a member of the Mortarboard Senior Honors Society, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Sociology Department Honors Program, Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society and is on the UNM Dean's List. She will graduate in December with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Women's Studies.
Kendall Spencer
Kendall Spencer
Spencer is captain of the UNM Track and Field Team, president of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, and an officer in the Student Athletic Advisory Council. In addition he is a member of the Psi Chi Honors Society, the Alpha Kappa Delta Honor Society, the Mortarboard Senior Honor Society and the Black Student Union. He graduated from San Mateo High School in San Mateo, California. His parents are Wyner and Pamela Spencer.
Spencer was named University Athlete of the Year in 2012 after he became the first UNM athlete to win a NCAA title in the long jump. One of his nominators wrote, "He is an outstanding example of what a UNM student-athlete can be and his dedication and involvement across campus exemplifies an individual that is making the most of his educational experience." Spencer is an NCAA Academic All American, a Mountain West Academic All American, and received the Arthur Ashe Scholar Award. He graduates in May with a degree in Psychology.
Jacob Wellman
Jacob Wellman
Wellman was a student regent, founding vice president of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, founding co-president of the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network Student Organization, executive vice president and president of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, staff appreciation co-chair of the Mortarboard Senior Honor Society, founding vice president of the YMCA Youth and Government Alumni Association, and held a number of offices in ASUNM. He also held the positions of vice president and president of the Student Union Building Board and is a member of the UNM Trailblazers. He graduated from Cibola High School. His parents are Lynn and Renee Wellman.
Wellman received the Regents' Scholarship, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship from the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, the Undergraduate Award of Distinction, North-American Interfraternity Conference, the Best Buy Inc. Regional Scholarship, the Josh Sain Memorial Scholarship from Boy Scouts of America, the Merit Award from the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Lena Clauve Motarboard Memorial Scholarship from the UNM Alumni Association, the Henry Johnston Political Science Scholarship from the Department of Political Science, the Rosa Rudin Roose Scholarship from UNM and the IFC Masonic Scholarship from the UNM Interfraternity Council.
The essence of his leadership ability is summed up by Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Mark Peceny. "Jake is indeed a Boy Scout, an idealist who believes deeply in America and in America's innate capability to provide leadership on issues of global environmental sustainability. He also has a deep understanding of how practical politics can make it extremely difficult to exercise this leadership. I have seen him demonstrate exceptional wisdom in balancing these conflicting tendencies. He is today and will continue to be an extraordinary leader."
Wellman graduates in May with a double major in Political Science and Economics and a minor in Sustainability Studies.