Congratulations to the class of 2026! We are proud to present members from the graduating class with Residential College Senior Awards. Each year, RC faculty and staff submit nominations for students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement during their time at U-M.
Each award recipient is recognized below with a brief biography and the nomination statement submitted by the faculty or staff member who nominated them.
Ann Savageau Award for Visual Arts and Community Engagement
The Anne Savageau award is presented to a graduating RC or RC-affiliated student who has made notable contributions to the betterment of the visual arts community through RC course work, outside community-engagement work in the arts, contributions to the betterment of underserved communities, protection of the natural environment using the arts, or contributions within classes working with incarcerated population.
Kayla Turner (she/her)
Hometown: Georgetown, Grand Cayman
Pronouns: she/her
Degree/Major: Arts and Ideas in the Humanities
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I will be continuing my work at the UM Museum of Art this summer and playing shows at the Blind Pig! Following that I am looking forward to finding my footing in a new city and expanding my creative community, in whatever form that may take.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? Being faithful to my curiosity and pursuing the things that excite me. My proudest are the moments when I've been able to witness this excitement grow beyond myself and see my work as a source of joy for others as well. Painting murals is one of these!
Anyone you'd like to thank? I want to thank Ray Wetzel and Isaac Wingfield for nominating me for this award and for their creative guidance and encouragement. I have been fortunate to have many amazing mentors, to name a few others: my advisor Elissa Bell Bayraktar, Prof. James Vigus of Queen Mary University, Mark & Julie at Festifools, the A2 Art Fair team, Paul Nilsson, Gabrielle Wheaton, the team at UMMA - thank you!! Finally, I wouldn’t be where I am without the love and encouoragement of my family and friends, I am so incredibly lucky to have you all!
Nominators: Ray Wetzel, Isaac Wingfield
Nomination Statement: We have enjoyed our great opportunity to work with Kayla Turner as a student in our classes in Arts and Ideas here at the Residential College. As an art student here in painting during her honors thesis and in her photography classes Kayla was committed to the creative process and eager to push the boundaries of the medium she engaged in, expanding her skills as an artist in the process. Kaylas honors thesis in Arts and Ideas , The "Embryo God" : Anna Letita Barbauld"s A summer Evenings Meditation and Traditions of Feminist Dissent, is a sophisticated exploration of literature and its relationship to Kayla's chosen art form : painting. Her newly created paintings reflect the aesthetics of the Romantic era as they relate to the concepts and text of her thesis work. Kayla has worked in the community painting murals at mason hall with group project on an LSA project concerning sustainability and in the Ann Arbor community creating a large commissioned mural for a local business. Kayla is a thoughtful , energetic, and personable human being in addition to being an accomplished artist and writer.
Kate Mendeloff Award for Excellence in Drama
Established in memory of the beloved and visionary Director of RC Drama, this award honors a graduating RC or RC-affiliated student who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to theatre through performance, direction, production, playwriting, or organizational leadership. The award recognizes those who have made meaningful contributions to the RC’s drama community and who embody the collaborative, creative, and socially engaged spirit that Kate Mendeloff championed in her decades of teaching and mentorship.
Cammie Golba (she/her)
Hometown: Jackson, MI
Degree/Major: RC Drama, with a minor in Computing for Expression
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I don't know exactly where I will end up yet, but for now I am going to enjoy my last summer in Ann Arbor working on Shakespeare in the Arb and spending lots of time with my friends. Then, I hope the wind carries me to a theater where I can continue to make art.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I just directed my capstone production "Attempts on Her Life" by Martin Crimp in which I completed my goal of bringing weird experimental theater to the Keene stage, and cultivated an environment of trust and collaboration with my entire cast and crew. But more importantly, I am most proud of the fact that I can sit in the Blue Cafe and at least five friends will show up at any point throughout the day and bring a smile to my face.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank Audrey Becker for her endless support over the last four years, as well as Katri Ervamaa, Naki Kripfgans, Jennifer Goltz-Taylor, Jake Hooker, Jack Moody, and the Keene Theater. I would also like to thank the RC Players for being my home here, and allowing me to grow as an artist, a person, and a friend. Finally I would like to thank my friends Ari and Maddie for giving me the confidence to pursue drama and theater.
Anything else you'd like to add? After crunching the numbers between classes, rehearsals, and performances I estimate I have spent AT LEAST 720 hours (approximately 30 whole days!) in the Keene Theater.
Nominators: Jake Hooke, Audrey Becker
Nomination Statement: Cammie Golba is not just a product of RC Drama but someone who has helped define what it is and lay the groundwork for what it will become. Through her work as an actor, director, and deviser, including her contributions to RC Players, she has shaped the culture of the program as much as it has shaped her. Her theatremaking instincts are adventurous but always grounded; she takes risks because the work calls for it, not to show that she can. She is a collaborative, curious, and engaged artist with a true passion for the theatre and for RC Drama. Kate Mendlehoff built this program around the belief that theater is a way to better understand the world, and Cammie lives that out.
The Spirit of the RC Award – The “Charlie”
Established in 2013 to honor former RC Director, the Charlie is awarded to the member of the senior class who best exhibits the animating spirit of the RC as defined by a demonstrated commitment to the RC and its mission in undergraduate education. Throughout their time on campus, this student has embraced the values associated with the liberal arts and a well-rounded education; has taken full advantage of all that the RC has to offer and has encouraged others to do the same; has played a significant leadership role as a part of this community; and has excelled academically.
Samuel Dykhouse (he/him)
Hometown: Holland, MI
Degree/Major: Double Major in Social Theory and Practice and Sociology, minor in Urban Studies
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I will be continuing my work at the United Community Housing Coalition in Detroit as a tax foreclosure prevention counselor. Outside of this work, I hope to keep exploring grassroots organizing efforts across the city and finding new opportunities to continue playing the double bass.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? As a student, I'm most proud of my multi-semester STP Honors Thesis focused on housing stability and foreclosure resistance in Detroit, centered around my experience working as a tax counselor. I am also extremely proud of all of the incredible music I've been able to play with various groups, including the Michigan Pops Orchestra, the Campus Symphony Orchestra, and the RC Chamber Music program.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I am extremely grateful to the entire RC faculty, in particular the Semester in Detroit leadership including Craig Regester and Rose Gorman, who have been instrumental in shaping my personal and professional growth. I am also extremely appreciative of all the STP professors who have shaped my time in the RC, including Ian Robinson, Stephen Ward, Leila Kawar, Becca Pickus, and Nora Krinitsky, my first and last professor at UM. I want to extend a huge thank you as well to Katri Ervamaa and Naki Sung Kripfgans for their dedication and support of music in the Residential College.
Note: Sam also won a Robby Award!
Nominators: Katri Ervamaa
Nomination Statement: From his first term at the RC, Sam has embodied the spirit of our Residential College. For several years he has worked at the Academic Services office, helping the community with the most practical suggestions, helpful hints and good cheer! He is an integral part of several of our programs minoring in Urban studies (through RCSTP), playing in chamber music ensembles and orchestras across campus. This year he is adding the Chair of the Board of the POPS orchestra to his community service record, a huge achievement and a difficult job in a large and passionate UM community organization entirely run by students. He has been an invaluable help for the RC chamber musicians using his position to look out for our interests in coordinating concert and rehearsal times.
Nominators: Nora Krinitsky, Becca Pickus, Stephen Ward, Briana Lloyd, Taranbir Kaur
Nomination Statement: Sam absolutely embodies the values and spirit of the RC! He is incredibly intellectually curious and self-motivated and eager to bring the growth and knowledge he has gained in the RC with him into the communities he is a part of. Sam is a Social Theory & Practice major and is completing an honors thesis about housing insecurity and foreclosure in Detroit. Notably, his honors thesis draws on the very meaningful work he did in the Semester in Detroit program. It is the perfect encapsulation of what it means to do Social Theory and Practice--drawing on his wide-ranging academic work to make important contributions to community empowerment in Detroit. He has also been a leader in the RC Chamber Music program and a leader of the UM POPS Orchestra, demonstrating the RC value of cultivating an arts practice alongside other academic endeavors. Sam has also been an invaluable member of the RC Academic Services team for the past 3 years. With his rich RC experience, friendly personality, and calm demeanor, he has been an amazing peer mentor and source of guidance for many a student going through a scheduling snafu or a difficult time. Outside of his impeccable work in the office, Sam has been an inspiring coworker and has made the Academic Services Office a positive space for students and staff alike.
The Emerging Writers Award
The Emerging Writers Award was established in 2014 to recognize, nurture and encourage creative writers in the Residential College’s creative writing program who demonstrate excellence in creative writing but have not previously received a writing award recognizing their writing achievements.
Bryndís Davis (she/her)
Hometown: Berrien Springs, MI
Degree/Major: Creative Writing & Literature, International Studies
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I'll be pursuing a master's in Viking and Medieval Norse Studies at Háskóli Íslands (University of Iceland). Through the program, I'm hoping to deepen my knowledge on the historical period I love and write about so as to better inform my writing.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I'm proud of my little adventures, from studying abroad in Reykjavík, Iceland, exploring Ann Arbor and the wonderful people and professors here, to allowing myself the space and love to write fiction without giving other peoples' worries a second thought. My thesis short story collection is the fruit of that passion, and I'm so happy to have been able to write and learn alongside other enthusiastic student writers and supportive faculty.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I'd like to thank Christopher Matthews and Laura Thomas for nominating me and for the non-stop support, generosity, advice, and check-ins — I wouldn't be the writer I am today without your guidance. To my dad, thank you for always believing in me, reading my work, and instilling in me the importance of the arts and of writing — I love you! Last but not least, thank you to my friends for showing up, inspiring me, and shaping me into a kinder and sharper person.
Anything else you'd like to add? Bryndís would also like to thank her small army of plants, Leif's silly names for her Icelandic characters, and Trader Joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cups for pulling her through the year and always making her smile.
Nominators: Christopher Matthews, Laura Thomas
Nomination Statement: I have had the pleasure of serving as Bryndís's thesis advisor this year, and her talent, stylistic finesse, and mature sensibility have deeply impressed me. For her thesis, Bryndís has crafted a series of remarkably lyrical and richly detailed interlocking tales set in Iceland after its Nordic settlement and on the cusp of Christianity’s arrival. These stories necessarily benefit from Bryndís’s impressive knowledge of Iceland, its culture and its history, but even more impressive is the way in which these stories carefully subordinate research to character complexity, relationship, and the emotional resonance of a specific, beautifully observed landscape. These are stories of contestation and the loneliness of finding oneself at the edges of the social contract, centered around questions of status and lineage, marriage and parentage, ritual and memory—each tale distinguished by Bryndís’s ability to create character portraiture with bright, evocative strokes, and to situate her characters within a sharply-drawn landscape that becomes its own emotional framework. This is remarkable work by a serious, sensitive writer, achieving an elegant balance of scholarship and imagination.
Macie Hayden Richardson (they/them)
Hometown: West Jefferson, North Carolina
Degree/Major: Majors in Creative Writing & Literature and Linguistics, minor in Community Action and Social Change
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I will be pursuing my MFA in poetry at Emerson College! I am looking forward to exploring Boston and adopting a cat. Because there is nothing quite like it, I hope to go back to home to southern Appalachia as often as I can.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am proud that my younger self would be overjoyed to find out what I'm up to now---I have always wanted to be a writer, and I'm so lucky to still be pursuing that goal. As a first-gen college student, the journey to this moment has not always been easy, yet I have accomplished so many wonderful things during my time at U-M. Of these accomplishments, I will always take the most pride in the incredible, talented, kind people I have come to know, within the walls of East Quad and beyond.
Anyone you'd like to thank? Iwould like to thank my gran, Nona Richardson, who will always be my biggest supporter. I would like to thank the people that made campus feel like home: everyone at the Spectrum Center, the talented members of RC Review, the incredible Elena Mills and Shelby Stakenas, and anyone I had the pleasure of crossing paths with in classes, in the hallways and lounges of East Quad, or at an RCR open mic. Thank you to the Benz and the Greene Lounge, thank you to the Blue Cafe energy drink supply, and thank you to Laura Kasischke, Christopher Matthews, and Sarah Messer for helping me grow.
Anything else you'd like to share? You become what you always were --- a very big fish. :)
Nominators: Laura Kasischke
Nomination Statement: Macie Richardson came to the RC as a gifted writer already, but they have gone on to become a serious poet. Over their years here, Macie has greatly impressed all of us with their commitment to poetry, their contributions to the poetry community in the RC, and, more than anything, their strong and ever-evolving work! The RC has been very lucky to have this emerging writer among us for the last four years.
Award for Exceptional Achievement in a Foreign Language - The “Janets”
This award, inaugurated in 2010 and renamed in 2015 to celebrate Janet Hegman Shier, former head of the RC German Program and Director and Faculty Administrator of RC Deutsches Theater, is given to graduating seniors who have shown outstanding accomplishments in the mastery of foreign languages, including a deep engagement with a language and its culture beyond proficiency, the active use of a second language in the RC or surrounding communities through community engagement programs and/or the arts, and/or a serious engagement with more than one foreign language. Language faculty often consult with each other about nominees and students may be nominated for more than one language.
Annabel Bean (she/her)
Hometown: Huntington Woods, Michigan
Degree/Major: BA in Social Theory & Practice and Spanish
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I will be attending the University of Michigan School of Social Work in order to earn my Masters of Social Work. By participating in the Community Change pathway and the Community Scholars: Community-Based Initiative in Detroit program, I hope to prepare myself for a career in either labor organizing or in pursuit of prison and police abolition.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am very proud of my organizing with Jewish Voice for Peace and the TAHRIR Coalition in the fight for university divestment and Palestinian liberation. Despite the immense repression from U-M, this organizing has continued and it will not stop until U-M is no longer complicit in the genocide of Palestinians. I'm also proud of my work facilitating theater workshops at Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility through the Prison Creative Arts Project. The women that I have been able to create art with are incredibly kind and creative, and they constantly remind me of the importance of fighting for prison abolition and the creation of systems that respond to and prevent harm in restorative and transformative ways.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank the many amazing professors that I have been able to learn from during my time in the RC, especially Cristhian Espinoza-Pino, Mabel Rodríguez, Olga López-Cotín, Ashley Lucas, Mary Heinen McPherson, Nora Krinitsky, Sueann Caulfield, Leila Kawar, Theresa Braunschneider, and Becca Pickus. Thank you so so much for your support throughout these past four years. You have all taught me so much about the world we currently live in and the one we hope to create in its place, and you have shown me that the changes we want to see are not just abstract ideas that we talk about in classrooms, but are concrete actions that we take with our communities every day. I feel much more prepared to go into the world and work towards justice and liberation because of the lessons I have learned from all of you. Finally, I would also like to thank my family for always supporting me and for being there for me through some very crazy times. I would not have made it to this point with (at least some of) my sanity intact without your love and support.
Note: Annabel also won a Tommy!
Nominators: Cristhian Espinoza, Olga Lopez
Nomination Statement: Annabel is an intelligent, responsible, and exceptionally hard-working student whose performance in the Spanish program far exceeded expectations. Building on a strong foundation, she demonstrated remarkable growth across all areas, achieving advanced proficiency marked by sophisticated grammatical control, rich vocabulary, and excellent accuracy. Her speaking abilities were equally impressive, as evidenced by outstanding presentations showcasing both fluency and command of complex structures. Beyond her linguistic strengths, she stands out for her intellectual curiosity, thoughtful engagement with complex topics, and openness to diverse perspectives. A proactive and reflective learner, Annabel consistently sought opportunities to improve and contributed positively to the classroom environment, making her truly deserving of The Janets: Outstanding Achievement in a Foreign Language award.
Camille Nagy (she/her)
Hometown: Ferndale, MI
Degree/Major: English + Creative Writing
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I’m hoping to eventually move to NYC and pursue a career in publishing, ideally with a focus on editorial work. Before that though, I plan to spend the next few months at home, spending time with friends, traveling, and generally making the most of post-grad life!
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I was able to have so many incredible experiences here at U-M that I never could have imagined as a freshman, and so many of those experiences have been at or because of the RC and the people I’ve met here. To list just a few, I passed RC Intensive Spanish; I survived six weeks at NELP; I somehow got through a year of being MAE at The Daily; I won three Hopwoods; I submitted a CW Honors Thesis; and I made so many incredible friends along the way. I did so many things that scared me, and I think, if I could ask her now, freshman me would be so proud that I even tried.
Anyone you'd like to thank? Being a part of the RC has been the highlight of my college career, and it couldn’t have been that without all of the incredible faculty and staff that make it so spectacular. In particular, I’d like to thank all of the professors whose classes I took and who were so willing to field my million questions and office hour appointments, as well as everyone in the Academic Services office — from Charlie, Briana, and Taranbir to the other wonderful SASAs — who made working here such a special experience.
Anything else you'd like to include? Goodbye, RC!!! I’ll miss you!!!
Note: Camille also won a Robby!
Nominators: Cristhian Espinoza, Olga Lopez
Nomination Statement: Camille is highly deserving of recognition for her exceptional achievement in Spanish, outstanding analytical abilities, and strong commitment to community service. Camille achieved an excellent command of the language, consistently producing sophisticated academic work that engages thoughtfully with complex topics, supported by precise grammar and advanced vocabulary. Her strong work ethic is evident in the care and rigor she brought to every assignment. Beyond the classroom, Camille participated as a dedicated tutor within the Latino community, using her language skills to support others with patience, cultural awareness, and genuine commitment. Camille’s ability to combine academic excellence with meaningful community engagement makes her an exemplary candidate for The Janets: Outstanding Achievement in a Foreign Language award.
Matthew Peal
Hometown: Commerce TWP, MI
Degree/Major: Bachelor of Arts in Economics and German
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? The next chapter of my journey brings me to Madison, Wisconsin. I am excited for the opportunity to start a job as a trainer for Epic Systems.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most thankful for and proud of the opportunity to connect with so many different people. The many conversations with RC faculty members and with students from across the globe have shaped me and pushed me to become who I am today.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank the incredible RC faculty, especially Karein Goertz and Carla Cribari-Assali. They constantly challenged me to improve my German, setting me up well for other courses at Michigan and for my semester abroad in Tübingen, Germany. Additionally, I would like to share a huge “thank you” with Charlie Murphy. Throughout the past four years, Charlie helped me make the most of my time at Michigan, both inside and outside of the classroom and the RC.
Anything else you'd like to include? I am forever thankful for the amazing people I met through the Residential College. It was one of the greatest blessings to be able to call East Quad home. And, of course… GO BLUE!
Nominators: Karein Goertz, Carla Cribari-Assali
Nomination Statement: Matthew Peal was an enthusiastic student with a strong interest in German. He worked hard and took full advantage of all of the opportunities our program offered to perfect his German language skills. He was an ambassador for the RC and our program on his campus tours, he studied abroad in Freiburg, and joined our co-curricular coffeehours long after he’d completed the RC sequence. His positive attitude and energy are infectious. Matthew’s German is excellent and that’s still the only language he uses when he speaks to us!
Beatrice Fleischmann
Nominators: Briana Lloyd, Taranbir Kaur
Nomination Statement: Beatrice started her college career in the RC with plans to pursue a minor in Spanish, and not only has she kept on that path, she actually went further and declared a major in the language instead! After achieving proficiency, Beatrice completed a summer study abroad program in the Dominican Republic, combining her pre-medical interests with her experience in the Spanish language through a community-engaged practicum and showcasing exactly what our language programs hope to promote in our students: global citizenship, sustained curiosity and zeal for learning, and community involvement and outreach. As a Student Academic Services Assistant and Orientation Peer Advisor, Beatrice often offers her expertise as a past participant in the intensive language program by providing advice, study skills, and guidance for new and current students in the program, and we have seen how her supportive words have helped calm students in moments of pre-proficiency panic! Beatrice is a fantastic example of a student who is using the skills that she has gotten from her RC language requirement in creative ways to complement her academic and career goals, and we’re excited to see what she does next!
Hollis Riggs (he/him)
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Degree/Major: Bachelor of Arts in Economics; minors in French and Environment
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I hope to be accepted into the TAPIF program, where I will act as an English teaching assistant in France during the school year while exploring master's options abroad.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? The French service-learning course I took was the most meaningful RC experience I had, working with clients at Freedom House Detroit to improve their English capabilities and fulfilling one of the RC's core values of community engagement. Although less grand in scope, I am also quite proud of a lamp I made in Ray's furniture class, which provided a much-needed creative outlet during an especially intense semester.
Anyone you'd like to thank? Dominique Butler-Borruat was the first and last French professor I had at the RC, and she deserves all my thanks for creating learning environments that were both eye-opening and genuinely enjoyable, as well as for nominating me. I am also grateful to my family, my friends in the RC, and all the other RC professors and advisors who helped me along throughout my time at Michigan. Lastly, I am grateful to the humble East Quad Blue Cafe pizza bagel for nourishing me through many lunchtimes; may you always cost three dollars.
Nominators: Dominique Butler-Borruat
Nomination Statement: Hollis was a student in my readings course on “the Status of Women in the Francophone World." This was his first RC French class since he passed the RC French Proficiency exam as an incoming student.
He was a promising student who engaged with the material on both an intellectual and personal level. His intellectual maturity was already well-developed in comparison to that of his peers. Hollis is an Economics major, double-minoring in French and Francophone Studies and Environmental Studies. Thanks to his excellent linguistic abilities, he was selected to spend a semester studying at the prestigious Institute for Political Studies (Sciences Po) in Paris. He is currently a student in my service-learning course, where he volunteered to take a leadership role during the group’s weekly visits to Freedom House Detroit. He also took it upon himself to teach three children, managing this difficult task masterfully. Furthermore, he made himself available on very short notice to interpret for an asylum seeker from Guinea detained at the North Lake facility in Baldwin, MI. In winter '26, he also participated in the inaugural Jeux de la francophonie du Michigan (Michigan Francophone Games), helping with the day’s activities.Hollis’ eagerness to learn, his openness to other cultures, and his genuine willingness to help vulnerable populations using his language skills make him a well-deserving candidate for this award.
Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Creative Arts – The “Robbies”
Established in 2000, to honor the founding Director of the RC, James H. Robertson, the “Robbies” are given to students who have shown a high level of achievement in one of creative arts in the RC. Typically seven to ten graduating seniors who have excelled in Creative Writing, Drama, Music or the Studio Arts over their RC careers receive recognition and a modest stipend. Faculty in the various creative arts programs discuss student names among themselves and put forward nominations.
Kaes Holkeboer (he/him)
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Degree/Major: B.S. Computer Science and Arts & Ideas in the Humanities
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Next year I'll find myself back in Ann Arbor for a Master's in Computer Science at U of M. I'll probably be making lots of trips to the Fine Arts and Duderstadt libraries, and I hope to keep making art and preparing myself for a career in CS.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I'm most proud of my Honors Thesis, which started as an idea back when I was a senior at Community High in Ann Arbor, and which I've been working on steadily for the past two semesters. I think it's a record of everything I've learned at the RC; all of my teachers have had an impact on it whether through taking a class or giving me advice and feedback directly. My favorite part was the performance which brought together my chamber music group, some of Alex Wand's students and myself for a really special event.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I'd like to thank my advisor Alex Wand without whom my thesis would not exist. I'd also like to thank my mother (also an RC alum!) for talking through so many of my ideas with me and for dragging me to tons of art museums as a child. Finally, I'm incredibly grateful to the RC faculty and staff including but not limited to Jennifer Goltz-Taylor, Mark Kirschenmann, Katri Ervamaa, Karein Goertz, Carla Cribari-Assali, Jack Moody, Toby Millman, Isaac Wingfield and Ray Wetzel.
Anything else you'd like to share? Also shoutout to the Inter-Cooperative-Council, guff love!
Nominators: Katri Ervamaa, Toby Millman
Nomination Statement: Kaes entered the RC already an established jazz pianist, and a visual artist with an eye for merging creativity and technology. After taking Mark Kirschenmann's Electronic Music class, he was asked to give workshops on musical electronics for all subsequent generations of that class. He contributed greatly to student "chamber music" ensembles in jazz, klezmer, tango and bossa nova, learning to play the accordion just for these styles of music. He has played piano for many RC events, and was even featured as the poster boy of generations of RC Arts students in the LSA magazine with his mom! Kaes' brilliant Arts&Ideas honors thesis is a continuation of work that he has been doing in music, visual arts and computer engineering: he developed code to process photographs in ableton, a music software, creating new images for projection for his sound art installation. Thank you, Kaes, for being an integral part of the RC Music program and embodying the spirit of the RC Arts!
Nominators: Alex Wand
Nomination Statement: Kaes Holkeboer, a double major in Computer Science and Arts & Ideas in the Humanities, embodies the spirit of the Residential College as a student who has followed his curiosity across disciplines and arrived somewhere truly original. His thesis explores what it means to corrupt a digital image by passing it through audio processing software. Through this process, he exposes the hidden architecture of file formats and has produced beautiful, abstract music and visual art in the process. Kaes has written his own software tools and woven together photography, collage, and sound art into a compelling body of work he calls "Pure Corruption."Kaes has been a generous presence in the RC music program through visiting the electronic music class, performing alongside students at final concerts, and sharing his thesis work at the Keene Theater. We are grateful for the spirit Kaes has brought to the RC, and wish him the very best in his future endeavors!
Camille Nagy (she/her)
Hometown: Ferndale, MI
Degree/Major: English + Creative Writing
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I’m hoping to eventually move to NYC and pursue a career in publishing, ideally with a focus on editorial work. Before that though, I plan to spend the next few months at home, spending time with friends, traveling, and generally making the most of post-grad life!
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I was able to have so many incredible experiences here at U-M that I never could have imagined as a freshman, and so many of those experiences have been at or because of the RC and the people I’ve met here. To list just a few, I passed RC Intensive Spanish; I survived six weeks at NELP; I somehow got through a year of being MAE at The Daily; I won three Hopwoods; I submitted a CW Honors Thesis; and I made so many incredible friends along the way. I did so many things that scared me, and I think, if I could ask her now, freshman me would be so proud that I even tried.
Anyone you'd like to thank? Being a part of the RC has been the highlight of my college career, and it couldn’t have been that without all of the incredible faculty and staff that make it so spectacular. In particular, I’d like to thank all of the professors whose classes I took and who were so willing to field my million questions and office hour appointments, as well as everyone in the Academic Services office — from Charlie, Briana, and Taranbir to the other wonderful SASAs — who made working here such a special experience.
Anything else you'd like to include? Goodbye, RC!!! I’ll miss you!!!
Nominators: Laura Thomas
Nomination Statement: Camille's work in the Creative Writing and Literature program spans many semesters of dedication to the art and craft of fiction. Her honors thesis manuscript, a collection of short fiction and the first three chapters of a novel, showcases her fiction's relatable characters navigating both real world and otherwordly challenges with humor, forthrightness, and ingenuity. Camille's versatility as a writer spans genres and times periods, and offers her readers deep dives on women's places in those worlds. From a medieval abbess to a woman embracing an extreme fad diet to a young woman just maybe, at last, finding her muse in the afterlife, Camille's entertaining writing and worldview embody the creative excellence of the Robbie Award.
Nominators: Briana Lloyd, Taranbir Kaur
Nomination Statement: As a dual Creative Writing and English major, Camille has demonstrated her passion for writing as an art through and through! In 2024, she won a prestigious Hopwood award for her work of fiction titled "The Rite of the Turnpike", and now, she is finishing out her Creative Writing Honors thesis as she nears graduation. Camille has used her writing skills to enrich the RC, UM, and global communities in myriad ways, from being a member of RC Review to a leader of Creative Writing Forum for 2 years, from her role as an editor at the Michigan Daily to a publishing internship abroad. Camille’s creativity shines through even her tasks as a Student Academic Services Assistant, as she has constantly added her creative touch to newsletters, graphics, stickers, event set-up and photography, and even homemade, personally designed and customized birthday cards for each SASA team member throughout the past few years. Camille is the perfect embodiment of a student who has a passion for the arts and uses that passion daily, in all of the little and big ways!
Olivia Han
Nominators: Polly Rosenwaike
Nomination Statement: With her CW honors thesis, Olivia has begun to realize her vision for an ambitious project: a fantasy novel about a young woman who uses her shapeshifting powers and her incredible strength to fight against a regime that killed her entire family. Throughout the writing process, Olivia confronted challenges of structure and character development with thoughtfulness, ingenuity, and good cheer. I looked forward to our conversations, with admiration for Olivia’s passionate investment in this story and the imaginative avenues she found to work out the narrative’s magic and its emotional resonance. Her efforts have resulted in a good portion of the first draft done—in powerful prose full of dramatic tension—with promising direction toward the novel’s future completion.
Hara Choi
Nominators: Laura Thomas
Nomination Statement: Hara's beautiful prose style, paired with her deep knowledge of Korean history and lore, embody the artistic excellence the Robbies reward. Her creative writing honors thesis is a masterful collection of short stories that explores generational relationships of families to nature, mythologies, and divisions with their loved ones, their country, and their own identities. From deep sea divers to artists to ordinary laborers, Hara's characters seek loved ones lost to untimely ends, political upheaval, or the sea. Set both in the real world and the mythical, Hara's stories illuminate, in gorgeous prose, the beauty of searching for, and accepting, complicated truths.
Kathryn Sigrid (Sigi) Krushelnick (she/her)
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Degree/Major: Arts and Ideas in the Humanities, History of Art, French triple major.
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I will be continuing my work at the University of Michigan Book Conservation lab for the Rare and Special Collections. I am currently working on separating and rebinding a collection of Dutch pamphlets, which is going to take some time I reckon! And then after that... well I guess we shall just see :)
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of the friendships I’ve cultivated here. Through these relationships, I’ve learned a great deal about myself and about how to build and sustain meaningful community spaces - something the RC has consistently emphasized. At the risk of sounding a bit cliche, I must add that although my time in the RC has been just four years, the connections I’ve made will last a lifetime. Thank you for everything!
Anyone you'd like to thank? Thank you to Ray and Toby both for the nomination! You have both created a safe space for me to express both myself and my love of birds!
Anything else you'd like to add? what a beautiful time it has been!
Nominators: Toby Millman, Ray Wetzel
Nomination Statement: Sigi exemplifies the Robbie through her creative spirit and unique approach to making art. Creating strong work in printmaking, book arts and cyanotypes, she not only honed craft skills, but developed a strong independent voice, yielding unexpected results from class assignments. Her dry sense of humor with a concern for environmental justice comes across in her children's book of extinct animals and large-scale linocut of an innocent bird holding a fish in its beak amidst a toxic apocalyptical landscape. Sigi has a naturally curious mind and applies her individual approach to incorporating her conceptual thinking into a work of art. Always modest when her work was praised, she is a delight to work with.
Anuttara Lath (she/her)
Hometown: Ann Arbor, MI
Degree/Major: B.A in Philosophy; B.A in Creative Writing and Literature
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I plan to take a gap year- doing some sort of public service work- before attending law school (somewhere in the Midwest). Though I'm not sure exactly where I'll be and exactly what I'll be up to, I hope to always find myself surrounded by books, friends, nature and sunshine.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of the risks I took, the new things I tried, the people I met, and the person I've become. In my time at the RC, I've learned an entirely new language, written a novel manuscript and met some of the greatest people ever. I'm so incredibly glad and lucky that everything turned out the way it did!
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank my amazing honors thesis advisor, Professor Laura Thomas. Her encouragement and feedback was absolutely integral to my writing and I can't imagine my time at the RC without her!
Anything else you'd like to add? The RC is probably the greatest decision I've ever made in my life!
Nominators: Laura Thomas
Nomination Statement: Anutarra's accomplished fiction and deep commitment to her craft represents the very spirit of excellence in the arts. Anutarra has thrived in creative writing program courses, immersing herself in composition and deep revision in many tutorial and seminar courses. Her honors thesis is a novel in progress about three young adults who set out on an adventurous journey in rural India to save their village from the ravishes of famine. The novel, grounded in Indian culture and folklore, offers a contemporary update of the established tropes of epic Indian literature and film, often through a feminist lens. Anuttara’s keen talent and dedication to her writing are models of excellence in creative exploration and the crafting of evocative fiction.
Maya Liljegren (she/her)
Hometown: Dearborn, MI
Degree/Major: Arts & Ideas in the Humanities B.A.
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Upon graduation, I will continue my work as a costumed historical presenter at Greenfield Village, educating visitors of all backgrounds, cultures, and learning styles about 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century American history and daily life. Outside of work, I intend to further develop my career as a singer-songwriter, taking every opportunity to perform live, host open mic nights, and work toward the release of my first LP. Within the next few years, I also plan to continue my academic studies in graduate school, with the ultimate goal of earning a doctorate in musicology and becoming a professor, while continuing to grow and challenge myself as a musician.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of continuously pushing myself out of my artistic comfort zone and pursuing my dreams and aspirations, even when they scare me. During my time at the university, I performed at my first open mic, acted in my first student film, studied abroad in London for the first time, joined the e-board of my dance organization (Fusion Dance) as Social Chair and choreographed my first group piece for our showcase, became the founder and co-leader of the RC Music Forum, and, most recently, spent the past school year working on my senior songwriting thesis, The Ophelia Triptych. I am incredibly proud of all of those things and beyond grateful to be part of a university that has allowed me to have each and every one of those opportunities. It has definitely changed me for the better.
Anyone you'd like to thank? First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents, who are truly the most loving, supportive, and wonderful people I have ever known. I cannot thank them enough for all they have done for me. I am also deeply grateful to the faculty, staff, and peers I have had the honor of learning from and working with during my time in the RC. In particular, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to RC Music professors Katri Ervamaa, Alex Wand, Mark Kirschenmann and Jennifer Goltz-Taylor, as well as Arts & Ideas professors Elissa Bayraktar and Rebecca Schwartz-Bishir. They have each touched my life in more ways than I can count, pushing me out of my comfort zone and helping me to grow into the person I am today. I will be forever thankful for that.
Anything else you'd like to add? Yes! I would like to express my immense gratitude to Katri Ervamaa for nominating me for this award. I am so incredibly touched to have received this honor.
And for those of you who are interested in following the continuation of my musical journey, check out my Instagram: @mayanovellamusic
Nominators: Katri Ervamaa
Nomination Statement: Maya has been an active contributor in many RC Music, Arts and Drama program studying Electronic Music, Foundations and Creative Musicianship, Singing, Play Production, Printmaking etc. etc. etc. For her Arts and Ideas honors thesis, she is synthesizing all of her artistic pursuits into a three-song cycle based on a print on Ophelia she made in Toby's class, that in turn was based on Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Maya is the co-leader of the RC Music Forum, and in her role has resurrected the regular monthly practice of RC open mics. Her service to the East Quad and RC musical communities are greatly appreciated!
Telise Clement
Nominators: Polly Rosenwaike
Nomination Statement: Over four semesters, I’ve admired Telise’s sharp and stylish writing voice, and enjoyed witnessing her thoughtful crafting of character relationships and story conflicts. Telise’s CW honors thesis follows Lydia, a small-town midwestern girl growing up in the mid-twentieth century, as she becomes a New York City-based junior photographer who travels on assignment with her grouchy middle-aged colleague, Martin. Elegantly working through the challenges of inhabiting a fictional character living in a different time than her own, Telise renders a vivid world for Lydia through well-chosen details, keen observations, and snappy dialogue. The breezy authority of the final thesis draft reflects Telise’s fantastic capacity for large-scale revision, her excellent eye for particular language, and a great deal of good humor.
Elena Mills (she/they)
Hometown: Hillsborough, NC
Degree/Major: Arts & Ideas in the Humanities, English
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After spending the summer with friends and family back in North Carolina, I will be spending the next two years at Chapman University, pursuing an MFA in Production Design! In a few years I hope to be working full time as a production designer or art director in LA.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? When I came to UMich I assumed I would leave with a practical degree that I wasn't especially passionate about. Having a home in the RC allowed me to take classes I absolutely loved, to foster my creativity, and to leave with a degree I adore. I am so proud to have been an artist in the RC for the past four years.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank Toby and Ray for being spectacular professors and supporters across my four years, Elissa and Becca for being supportive and essential advisors, and the RC in general for being my home. I would also like to thank Filmic Productions for helping me discover my passion and path, and for giving me the best friends and creative community I could ask for. Lastly, I would like to thank my family and friends who have been unendingly supportive in all of my endeavors. I love you all!
Anything else you'd like to add? Go blue forever!
Nominators: Toby Millman
Nomination Statement: JElena is a deeply committed to exploring various methods and materials from bookmaking to printmaking to filmmaking. It's been gratifying to watch her process evolve since I first met her as a sophomore in Drawing. Elena is a creative force!
Lillian Reed-Nordwall (she/her)
Hometown: Birmingham, MI
Degree/Major: Film, Television, and Media & Creative Writing
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I'll be focusing my time on writing as much as possible! I hope to one day attend grad school, and I plan to write both books and screenplays.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I'm most proud of winning the Hopwood award for Best Screenplay in my junior year! Screenwriting was new to me, so it was cool to see how my prose writing could translate into a different mode of storytelling. I'd heard about the Hopwoods from my parents who attended Michigan, but I didn't imagine I would win one!
Anyone you'd like to thank? I'd like to thank Laura Thomas for mentoring me for my three years at Michigan and in the RC. Coming into college, I wasn't sure what the next step for my writing was, but you saw things in my writing I couldn't see on my own and coached me into becoming a better writer. Thank you for nominating me for this award and thank you for being such a great professor and advisor!
Nominators: Laura Thomas
Nomination Statement: Lily's outstanding work in the Creative Writing program embodies excellence in the arts. Her honors thesis novel manuscript illustrates Lily's creativity, writing skill, and dedication to the art of stortelling. The novel, a modern telling of Norse mythology, reframes saga through the experience of an impoverished young woman of that time centered on her domestic space, her community, and the natural settings surrounding her village. Her main character's battles and challenges are no less thrilling and consequential than a male hero’s journey, thus underscoring the novel’s message of female strength and representation in the historical adventure genre set in a male dominated time and culture. Lily's tireless work on this novel is most deserving of this award's recognition.
Lindsey Rosenblatt (she/her)
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Degree/Major: BA/English Literature & Creative Writing (dual major)
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I will be returning to Ohio where I am excited to be among friends and family for a bit as I discover what paths are available to me beyond the scaffolding of academia. I am looking forward to diving into postgraduate life feet first and no life jacket!
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of how much I absorbed from mentors, professors, and peers regarding how to advance my craft as a fiction writer. While there is a lot more to learn, I am proud to say that I sucked as much out of this academic institution as I could, and found myself rewarded with being a much better and more intentional writer than I started freshman year.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank my thesis advisor and mentor Polly Rosenwaike. When I think back on my time at Michigan, Polly is the first face that will come to mind. Not only is she a talented editor, fiction writer, and teacher, she has an uncanny gift at pushing her students to their limits to discover how far they can take their art. Consider yourself lucky if you get to work with her!
Nominators: Polly Rosenwaike
Nomination Statement: Lindsey’s short stories explore the complexities of various relationships—familial, romantic, and between friends—with vivid details and acute insights. Her willingness to embark on largescale revision is truly inspiring. Again and again, I’ve watched her overhaul story drafts, doing the hard work—both in conversation and on the page—of really examining what she wants to express in a particular piece. Aiming always to represent the depth and complications of her characters and their situations, she keeps pushing toward sharper representations of sexuality, mixed emotions, and young people’s development of their individual identities. Lindsey has done a wonderful job of wrestling with the short story form in her CW honors thesis, setting herself up well to continue engaging with the challenges and pleasure of fiction writing.
Mori Rothhorn (she/her)
Hometown: Lansing, MI
Degree/Major: B.S., Biopsychology, Cognition and Neuroscience and German
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I plan to work as a freelancer with Linden Global Learning and Support while continuing to build a network of mental health advocates, artists, and scientists with my friends in Neuroarts in Detroit, before moving to Berlin in the winter to continue working with Linden in person.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am the most proud of my experiences in German department. Despite the challenges it was perseverance with the language that allowed me to have an incredibly transformative study abroad experience in Germany. While there, I was able to connect with the language through playing music with friends, and found incredible community. It taught me the power of persistence and music in community building, lessons that helped me reconnect with the spirit of the RC when I returned.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I’m forever grateful for my freshman year roommate Anika for holding me to the earth when it was spinning, and my roommate Eliza the years after. I love you guys. I’m also incredibly grateful to the RC music program- Katri, Alex, and Jack for their support over the last 4 years and making a home for me in to such a beautiful department. I wouldn’t have even considered joining the RC if it wasn’t for my sister and her friends, and her unwavering belief in my growth. Thank you to my parents for their unconditonal support- to my mother for constantly inspiring me to play and believe in the importance of music and to my dad for his love of the earth. I’m so grateful to have such a village of supportive family, friends, and mentors.
Nominators: Katri Ervamaa
Nomination Statement: In her first semester as a first-year student Mori set herself apart in the chamber music ensembles as a person of high integrity, reliability and stellar work ethic. She participated in chamber music ensembles as a violinist and a fiddler and it was an easy choice to hire her as the Music Program assistant from the start. For three glorious years she has done a magnificent job for the program! She has nurtured our many pianos by checking them twice or three times each week and giving them what they need (usually nutrition in the form of water - they really are like living organisms), organized and coordinated receptions and events, most importantly the RC Music Program's Arts&Resistance theme year concerts, catalogued and organized the musical scores and equipment, and become a graphics whiz at designing posters. We will miss her greatly!
Talia Yin (she/her)
Hometown: Shenzen, China
Degree/Major: Bachelor of Arts in creative writing; Bachelor of Arts in political science
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I am going to attend the program of Master of Arts in the field of literary and cultural analysis at University of Hong Kong.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? Under the guidance of Polly, I have successfully completed my honor thesis, a collection of revised and polished short stories. I have never go through the writing and editing process fully before, and I am grateful for the opportunity.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would love to thank Polly for her guidance on my writing and for nominating me. She has always been incredibly supportive and generous with her time, and I truly appreciate everything she has done for me. I’m also very grateful to my family for always supporting me in pursuing my passion for writing.
Anything else you'd like to add? To all the classmates and friends I’ve met at the University of Michigan—thank you for always being so kind and welcoming. Again and again, people showed up to help me, sometimes when I didn’t even expect it. That generosity has meant so much to me.
Nominators: Polly Rosenwaike
Nomination Statement: It’s been a pleasure to read Talia’s striking, wide-ranging stories through our work together on her CW honors thesis. Wonderfully attuned to both storytelling structure and the nuances of language, she’s written realistic and surrealistic fiction that explores familial relationships, as well as the effects of place, politics, and social class on individual identity. Her story “The Goose and the Cricket” came from her desire to write a politically-charged narrative set during the Cultural Revolution in China. Through multiple drafts, Talia thought very carefully about how to craft the experience of a boy who, indoctrinated at school by state propaganda, turns against his “petty bourgeois” parents. This searing story will be published in the U-M Library’s Café Shapiro anthology this year.
Award for Outstanding Service in Community Engagement – The “Tommies”
The Residential College established these awards in 2006 to honor former RC Director, Thomas Weisskopf. The “Tommies” are given annually to students who have made substantial contributions to the communities around them – whether to East Quad, to the University campus, or to communities in the region or beyond – during their undergraduate careers.
Yeslin Amarante (she/her)
Hometown: Detroit, MI
Degree/Major: BA International Studies & Sociology
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I plan to explore opportunities to gain real-world experience in public service. I am interested in pursuing a master’s degree in public policy and eventually attending law school. I also hope to gain hands-on experience in governmental affairs.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am most proud of my time as an SASA! I loved it and will cherish all the memories made!
Anyone you'd like to thank? There are so many people within the RC community whom I would like to thank!! Shoutout to Office 1813 (the coolest office on the block): Briana Lloyd, Charlie Murphy, Taranbir Kaur, and THAT COMFY COUCH! Shoutout to Communications and Admissions: Katie Gass and Kristin Stein. Shoutout to some really cool professors (go take their classes!): Theresa Braunschneider, Teresa Sanchez-Snell, and Sueann Caulfield. Shoutout to Semester in Detroit: Rose Gorman, Craig Regester, Stephen Ward, Baba Jamon Jordan, and Darcy Brandel. Shoutout to RC Spanish: Olga López-Cotin, Cristhian Espinoza-Pino, Mabel Rodríguez, Wendy Gutiérrez-Tashian, and Sandra Núñez. Shoutout to the arts: Ray Wetzel!!! Shoutout to Keene Theater: Jack Moody! Shoutout to PCAP: Vanessa Mayesky. SHOUTOUT TO THE ADMIN STAFF, they hold it down for real: Carl Abrego Jr., Candice Middlebrook, and the RC Director, Catherine Badgley. Shoutout to all my dear graduating SASAs, I love you all so much: Camille Nagy, Samuel Dykhouse, Naomi Moran Guzman, Sallie Mo, and Beatrice Fleischmann. Shoutout to CAPS!!! Thank you to mami y papi for believing in me, and shoutout to my little sister, Emily! Thank you to my besties!! And a big thank you to me for the hard work. You made it!
Anything else you'd like to add? to all future RC grads...taking from the universe & throwing it right at you!!!
Nominators: Briana Lloyd, Taranbir Kaur, Theresa Braunschneider
Nomination Statement: Yeslin has essentially been a staple in the RC since she started in Fall 2022! She started out as an RC MAP mentee and found her way to the Academic Services Office, where she became our officially unofficial “Community Promotion Intern”; Yeslin was in the office so much that year contributing to the space, making it more lively and fun and welcoming, answering questions from new and current students (as if she weren’t a brand new student herself), and overall acting so much like a part of the team that we hired her on officially the following year! That summer, Yeslin took part in the Semester in Detroit Program, where she interned at a law firm with a focus on human rights advocacy. Yeslin then went on to become an IGR facilitator and RC RA, and also pursued summer study via a cultural immersion course in Brazil and a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship through Princeton University. Yeslin has been active in the RC, on campus, and off campus as a member of the community, both locally and globally. She has demonstrated her passion for advocacy, social justice, intra- and intercultural communication, and civic duty, and she has shown what it looks like to really get involved!
From Theresa: Having taught Yeslin in her first semester at the RC, in a writing seminar on "Belonging in College," it's been a pleasure to continue seeing her regularly in the Academic Services office and watch her mature into a confident leader who has really claimed a sense of belonging at U-M. This past fall, Yeslin graciously agreed to visit my class as part of an "alumni panel" of advanced students who had taken the "Belonging in College" seminar during their first year. The current students' written reflections on the panel discussion highlighted Yeslin's combination of candor and optimism: they appreciated that she was frank about the challenges she faced early in college even while providing encouragement, helpfully reminding them that (as one student wrote) "belonging is a process." One student shared, "The positive messages from these stories make me feel much more hopeful about my own time at U-M." This class included many students who were first gen, low income, Latinx, of color, identities and experiences Yeslin highlighted in her comments. One of these students wrote, "I think I related most to Yeslin's experience, and I guess it was just so surreal and meaningful to hear that someone has struggled with the same things I am going through now and I am not fully alone in my struggle." I have no doubt Yeslin has shared such messages with students across the RC, providing mentorship to lots of students who have needed a boost to their sense of belonging!
Henry Baratz (he/they)
Hometown: Friendship Heights, Maryland
Degree/Major: BA, Social Theory and Practice, Gender and Health
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? As of now, my plan is to move to Chicago and begin my MA in Social Work, Social Policy, and Social Administration from the University of Chicago! I hope to continue to engage in community organizing and creating art with lovely people.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am proud that I was a part of such dedicated and resilient community organizations throughout my time at UofM. Organizing with Black and Pink, facilitating theatre and creative writing workshops across multiple prisons with PCAP (and Telling It!), and engaging in community-based research with SOAR have all filled me with immense gratitude.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank my mentor and advisor from day one at UofM, Becca Pickus, who has been a phenomenal support throughout my time in the RC. I would also like to thank Ashley Lucas for being such an incredible mentor and for introducing me to the wonderful world of PCAP. Shoutout to my STP cohort and the phenomenal professors in the RC who have shaped my academic journey.
Anything else you'd like to add? STP is the place to be! I will be forever grateful for such a rich academic undergraduate experience and advisors/professors who deeply care about their students' learning.
Nominators: Becca Pickus
Nomination Statement: JHenry has been robustly and meaningfully engaged in community engagement and social justice work since his very first semester in the RC. A partial list of his community engagement experiences include co-facilitating multiple weekly theatre workshops in prisons with the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP); co-facilitating weekly trauma-informed creative workshops with youth at the Washtenaw County Juvenile Detention Center with Telling It; developing curricula and training dozens of youth on sexual health agency, empowerment, and social-emotional wellness as an intern with the Youth Women's Project in Washington, D.C.; and serving as the Lead Community Organizer for Black and Pink at the UM School of Public Health, where he oversaw the penpal/pod program between folks on the outside and LGBTQ+ folks and PLHIV in prisons. He also coordinated Black and Pink's bi-monthly newsletter, "The Rainbow Review," which is distributed throughout Michigan prisons. In addition to these organizing, activist, and community-based experiences, Henry has also engaged in rigorous, critical/social justice focused coursework and research. He is a SOAR (Student Opportunities for AIDS/HIV Research) Scholar, participating in sequential coursework and research; one of his SOAR research projects explored community-led solutions to HIV inequities and economic vulnerability amongst transgender women of color in Detroit. In addition, Henry does research with the Carceral State Project, and published an ArcGIS StoryMap, based on oral, written, and archival narrative research on the living conditions for trans women in Michigan prisons, entitled, "Narrative Responses to MDOC Transgender Policies: Policies and Responses to Violence Among Transgender Women in Michigan Prisons." Henry also served as an undergraduate teaching assistant for my course, "Restorative Justice, Decarceration, Abolition: From Theory to Practice," and I am currently his advisor for his Honors Thesis, which researches how artists have engaged with, responded to, and resisted HIV criminalization. For this thesis, Henry attended the 6th Annual National Conference for HIV decriminalization, "HIV is Not a Crime," hosted by the Sero Project, and conducted 4 oral history interviews with artists and scholars whose work resists HIV criminalization; the narrative data from these original oral histories form the foundation of his impressive, scholarly and activist thesis. Amazingly, this summary only captures a portion of the community-engaged and social justice work that Henry has participated in over the past 4 years; I deeply admire and am proud of him and his social justice engagement, and believe he is most deserving of this award.
Annabel Bean (she/her)
Hometown: Huntington Woods, Michigan
Degree/Major: BA in Social Theory & Practice and Spanish
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? Following graduation, I will be attending the University of Michigan School of Social Work in order to earn my Masters of Social Work. By participating in the Community Change pathway and the Community Scholars: Community-Based Initiative in Detroit program, I hope to prepare myself for a career in either labor organizing or in pursuit of prison and police abolition.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I am very proud of my organizing with Jewish Voice for Peace and the TAHRIR Coalition in the fight for university divestment and Palestinian liberation. Despite the immense repression from U-M, this organizing has continued and it will not stop until U-M is no longer complicit in the genocide of Palestinians. I'm also proud of my work facilitating theater workshops at Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility through the Prison Creative Arts Project. The women that I have been able to create art with are incredibly kind and creative, and they constantly remind me of the importance of fighting for prison abolition and the creation of systems that respond to and prevent harm in restorative and transformative ways.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank the many amazing professors that I have been able to learn from during my time in the RC, especially Cristhian Espinoza-Pino, Mabel Rodríguez, Olga López-Cotín, Ashley Lucas, Mary Heinen McPherson, Nora Krinitsky, Sueann Caulfield, Leila Kawar, Theresa Braunschneider, and Becca Pickus. Thank you so so much for your support throughout these past four years. You have all taught me so much about the world we currently live in and the one we hope to create in its place, and you have shown me that the changes we want to see are not just abstract ideas that we talk about in classrooms, but are concrete actions that we take with our communities every day. I feel much more prepared to go into the world and work towards justice and liberation because of the lessons I have learned from all of you. Finally, I would also like to thank my family for always supporting me and for being there for me through some very crazy times. I would not have made it to this point with (at least some of) my sanity intact without your love and support.
Note: Annabel also won a Tommy!
Nominators: Becca Pickus, Theresa Braunschneider
Nomination Statement: Annabel has robustly contributed to community-based work throughout her college career and across contexts, including in the RC, the larger campus community and beyond.Within the RC, Annabel has served as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (TA) in multiple classes. In RCCORE 100, an RC First-Year Writing Seminar entitled "Rest in Social Context", Annabel partnered with Theresa Braunscheider. Theresa notes that Annabel not only served as an attentive, caring, and fun mentor for first-semester RC students but also thought carefully with Theresa about how an ongoing TA program in the First-Year Writing Seminar courses could benefit future students and contribute to community-building in the RC. In her TA role, Annabel took an interest in every student and candidly shared with them her own navigation of challenges in her time as an RC student, providing empathy and guidance in areas well beyond their college writing skills: for instance, on several occasions, Theresa walked into class when Annabel was in the midst of conversations about navigating the intensive language courses or choosing courses for the next semester. In her final project as a TA, Annabel proposed a curriculum for the RCCORE 307 course supporting future First-Year Writing Seminar TAs. As Theresa rolls out that program over the next few years, Annabel's careful, critical, detailed thinking will surely continue to help build connections between faculty, advanced RC students, and first-semester RC students who are just coming to know our community.Annabel also served an an Undergraduate Teaching Intern in Becca Pickus's RCSTP 408 course on Decarceration Activism during two consecutive semesters. In this role, Annabel deftly supported students in critical, nuanced, empathic and justice-focused engagement with course materials, with guest speakers, and with one another. In partnership with Becca, Bear and Tore -- two additional teaching assistants who, amongst them, have spent over 30 years in Michigan prisons -- Annabel co-created a classroom environment in which students and guest speaker felt able to share difficult experiences, receive empathy and support, and work collectively towards imagining, cultivating, and advocating for policies and practices that promote genuine justice and healing. Additionally, as a long-time creative arts workshop facilitator in Michigan prisons with the Prison Creative Arts Project, Annabel modeled how to center the wisdom, knowledge, and experiences of those most impacted by incarceration in decarceral work while also emphasizing the importance of critical self reflection, humility, and intentional self-care amongst student facilitators, organizers, and activists. Annabel has been essential not only for co-creating the community within our classroom over these past two semesters, but for modeling and helping students cultivate key skills of respectful, ethical, justice-focused community engagement that they will take with them into future work.In addition to these Teaching Assistant roles, Annabel has been very actively engaged in student-led organizing and activism on campus as well as justice-focused community-based work off campus. As two illustrative examples, she was immersed in organizing for Palestinian liberation alongside campus and community peers since late Fall 2023, and has co-facilitated theatre workshops at the Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility since Fall 2023. She is also the Co-Chair of the U-M chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America; worked on staff at Camp Michigania from May 2023-December 2024; and, more recently, became a Program Assistant for "Beyond the Books", a justice-focused literacy program for elementary students in local under-resourced neighborhoods, run by the Community Action Network. Her justice-focused community engagement has also extended internationally: as one example, in Summer 2025, she was a U.S. Delegation Leader for the Children's International Summer Villages program, wherein she let a youth delegation focused on international human right to Padua, Italy, and developed workshops focused on sustainability, international peace-building, and transformative justice.Annabel's community engagement work is robust, impactful, and impressive; she has meaningfully contributed to the cultivation of community, and to a more just world, in the RC, in Washtenaw County, and internationally. She is eminently deserving of this award.
Ayo Fadase (she/her)
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Degree/Major: B.A. Economics, and International Studies
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? I will be getting my Masters in Management at Brown University and working in Client services for a private equity consulting firm in Dallas. I am hoping to grow professionally and build the career of my dreams whatever that might look like.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? I took pride in supporting the admissions process and helping incoming RC students find their footing and their place within the community. Serving as Vice President of the African Student Association and dedicating all four years to building community for African students on campus remains one of my greatest accomplishments, as it allowed me to create a space where students felt seen, celebrated, and connected. Most of all, I am proud to leave Michigan with a lifelong identity as a Wolverine and a deep pride in calling Ann Arbor home.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to thank God and my family for their unwavering love and support throughout this journey. I am deeply grateful to the RC faculty and staff, especially Kristin Stein, whose belief in me and trust in my potential pushed me to know I could accomplish anything, and Briana Lloyd, whose endless support carried me through both my academics and life on campus. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
Anything else you'd like to share? I'd like to specially shout out my sister, for being my very best friend and all the love i have for her is why I keep going. You are my heart in human form, and I am endlessly grateful for you.
Nominators: Kristin Stein
Nomination Statement: Ayomide (Ayo) Fadase served as the Residential College’s first Senior Admissions Assistant, helping to define and shape what this leadership role could be for future student staff. She set a strong standard for professionalism, initiative, and teamwork, becoming a trusted leader among the Admissions Assistant team. Ayo has a remarkable ability to connect with prospective students and families, communicating with warmth, clarity, and approachability that helps them feel immediately welcomed into the RC community. Through her leadership, organization, and genuine care for others, Ayo has played an important role in strengthening how the RC introduces itself to future students.
Qiying Feng
Nominators: Kristin Stein
Nomination Statement: Qiying Feng has been a remarkably diligent and generous member of the RC Admissions team, consistently going above and beyond to support the work of the office. When speaking with prospective students and families, she brings warmth, joy, and thoughtful attention to each interaction. Rather than simply sharing her own experience, Qiying has a unique ability to help students imagine how they themselves might find belonging and opportunity within the RC. She approaches every task with flexibility and a willingness to step in wherever help is needed, often volunteering her time to support the team. Qiying’s bright spirit and genuine care for others have made a lasting impact on our community, and she will be deeply missed.
Sally Mo (she/her)
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Degree/Major: Bachelor of Science in Honors Cognitive Science, Data Science
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I'll be continuing my current internship while staying curious about the people and systems around me. Wherever I end up, I hope to keep building things with people, asking the questions that unblock teams, and, ideally, catching the problem before the tissue is needed.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? As a STEM kid who found her home in the RC, I'm most proud of the quiet consistency of showing up: to the Academic Service office since the second week of freshman year, to students who came in crying (and absorbing it without flinching), and to programs like Mentorship Among Peers, Summer Peer Advising, and Student Union, where I learned how to make a community actually run. Alongside that, I stayed curious and played a lot, violin, singing, dance, research, hackathons... and I think the mix is what made college feel like mine.
Anyone you'd like to thank? My deepest gratitude goes to the Academic Service office: to Charlie Murphy ('26, yes), Briana Lloyd, and Taranbir Kaur, who were the meal-less backbone of a little office that became my anchor through every relationship change and location change of these past three years. What I will carry with me is the way they showed up, again and again, without ceremony, making the office feel like somewhere I belonged from day one. To Candice Middlebrook, for showing me what it looks like to stay calm under pressure, and, on the days I could not yet be an accountable adult, for being one in the room with me until I could learn how. To Jennifer Goltz-Taylor, who helped me find my voice and conquer the fear of showing up as myself. To Katri Ervamaa, who showed me, again and again, the beauty of music and collaboration. To Katie Gass, for every door she opened in marketing and for trusting me through them. And to Michael Zhai, for fostering my curiosity and my love of words, for teaching me that reading and writing are really just long conversations with authors worth having.
Anything else you'd like to add? Sally has spent three years under the working hypothesis that she grows by helping others grow. The data is promising. She would also like to credit her AirPods, her journal, and her emotional sponginess, which has, by conservative estimate, absorbed the emotional runoff of roughly half the Academic Service office's foot traffic without losing signal. Sample size still growing.
Nominators: Briana Lloyd, Taranbir Kaur
Nomination Statement: Sally has been an amazingly committed member of the RC community from the moment that she set foot on campus! Three years ago, she was the sole first-year student to interview for a Student Academic Services Assistant position, not even a week into her first semester on campus, and she has been a pillar in our office ever since. Sally impressed us even then with her professionalism, her determination, and her excitement to dive into the RC community and learn how to make it a better place, and she has strived to do that in her three years on campus. Sticking tight to her plan to graduate within 3 years, Sally has maintained high academic excellence while juggling various research roles, internships, and work responsibilities. Through all of that, Sally has shown up for her RC peers as a SASA, a summer orientation peer advisor, an RC MAP mentor, and as a community member. She makes it a point to show up for events and assist, even when she is not on the clock; she goes above and beyond to help out and answer questions to students in need, especially newer students who are still trying to find their way; she uses her wit and humor to make the office a comforting and welcoming place for all who enter. Sally embodies the values of the RC through and through, and we’ve been lucky to watch her grow as a leader!
Anna Reins (she/her)
Hometown: Tampa, Fl
Degree/Major: Political Science B.A., Crime and Justice minor
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? After graduation, I’ll be pursuing a J.D. at Stetson University College of Law, with the goal of practicing criminal law and working to support fair outcomes within the justice system, particularly for individuals impacted by incarceration.
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? Through PCAP, I have had the privilege of meeting so many incredible men and women in Michigan prisons, each with their own stories, talents, and aspirations. These relationships have challenged many of the assumptions I once held and have given me a deeper understanding of how the criminal legal system impacts real people and their families. Working alongside them in creative spaces has shown me the importance of dignity, self-expression, and second chances.
Anyone you'd like to thank? I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my teachers, Ashley Lucas, Megan Holmes, and Mary Heinen McPherson, for their unwavering guidance and encouragement. Learning from them has not only shaped how I think, but also how I approach this work with more compassion and intention.
Anything else you'd like to add? Everyone should do PCAP! It will change your life.
Nominators: Mary Heinen McPherson
Nomination Statement: I nominate Anna Reins for outstanding achievement in community engagement-the Tommie. Anna works with the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) facilitating theater and creative arts workshops with women prisoners and with the Carceral State Project as a dedicated leader investigating the degree to which incarcerated individuals have access to the courts in Michigan prisons. The impact of Anna's work benefits hundreds of people locked behind bars by challenging conditions of confinement and helping to provide access to the courts and to the creative arts. Anna's community engagement is heartfelt and real. Anna is a superstar!
Jack Thompson (he/him)
Hometown: Perrysburg, OH
Degree/Major: B.S. Computer Science
Where will you be following graduation? Or where do you hope to find yourself? 現時点は東京在留なのですが、5月から２ヶ月ほどの国際出張を行うことになっておりました。
What are you most proud of from your time in the RC and at U-M? 寮の窓を2回壊してしまって誰も気づかなかったことですね。
Anyone you'd like to thank? Matthew Prock
Anything else you'd like to add? ;:^y
Nominators: Kristin Stein
Nomination Statement: Jack has been a vital member of the RC Admissions Assistant team, contributing both technical skill and infectious enthusiasm to the work of welcoming prospective students. Drawing on his computer science background, he improved and enhanced RC admissions web pages, making information more accessible for future RC’ers and strengthening recruitment efforts. Just as impactful is the energy he brings to tours, where his warmth and excitement help students envision themselves in the RC community. Prospective students frequently remember Jack by name when they return to campus or begin their studies in the fall. Through both his behind-the-scenes work and his personal engagement, Jack has made a lasting impact on how students experience the RC.
