Tradition honors 12 seniors who benefit others

Twelve Cornell seniors, who have been honored for their community service efforts, will use their monetary awards to benefit others.

Each year 12 Cornell Tradition fellows are honored for their community service work with $3,500 Senior Recognition Awards, which they then donate to either non-profit agencies or to establish one-year fellowships for other Cornell Tradition students. The Cornell Tradition is an alumni-endowed program that awards fellowships to Cornell undergraduates who demonstrate significant work experience, campus or community service and academic achievement.

The Senior Recognition Award winners, who are first nominated by faculty or staff members, or are self-nominated, are chosen by a Cornell Tradition selection committee composed of faculty members, administrators and Cornell Tradition alumni.

"These award recipients represent all the best about Cornell students," said Janiece Bacon Oblak, assistant dean of admissions and financial aid and director of Cornell Tradition. "They have devoted thousands of hours of service to the Ithaca community, the Cornell campus and their home communities. They come from all over the country and they have made a significant difference in the lives of others."

The awards have been given since 1989, and during the past decade, 115 Cornell Tradition seniors have received this outstanding recognition. Those recipients have, in turn, awarded 49 Tradition fellowships to other undergraduates, while nearly $170,000 has been awarded to non-profit agencies.

This year, the United Way of Tompkins County has been designated to receive senior Eric Booth's award of $3,500. Booth volunteered for four years with both the county United Way -- working in the office and creating campaign pledge materials and newsletters -- and with the Cornell United Way Campaign as a campaign strategist. He worked directly with the campus campaign chair and cabinet as a special assistant to help coordinate campaign efforts and implement communications strategy for raising more than $500,000 for the United Way.

The 1999 award winners, their majors and designated award recipients are:

• Shanelle Adara Alston of Callicoon, N.Y.; human factors/ergonomics; fellowship for a human ecology major and musician;
• Sara Elizabeth Best of Ardsley, N.Y.; nutritional sciences and human biology, health and society; the Society for the Advancement of Women's Health Research, Washington, D.C.;
• Eric Booth, of Salisbury, Md.; architecture; United Way of Tompkins County.
• Natalie L. Bridgeman, of Santa Cruz, Calif.; government; fellowship for a female student from Northern California dedicated to working on social justice issues;
• Jamila Cutliff, of Saginaw, Mich.; materials science and bioengineering; Dynamic Achievement (which develops educational programs for disadvantaged youth), Saginaw, Mich.;
• Amanda Perez, of Manhasset, N.Y.; human development; Marta and Jesus Perez Fellowship for a Latina in human ecology.
• Benjamin A. Perry, of Omaha, Neb.; natural resources; fellowship to provide funding for a student for a summer internship experience with an organization or group working in the environmental field;
• Harriet Pimm, of Walden, N.Y.; communication; Fred and Del Pimm Fellowship for a student in agriculture and life sciences from New York state with an interest in agriculture or who is active in 4-H;
• Samuel Pollack, of Troy, N.Y.; industrial and labor relations (ILR); fellowship to an ILR student from the Capital Region of New York (Albany, Schenectady, Troy).
• Benito Trevino, of McAllen, Tex.; electrical engineering; Centro Civico of Amsterdam Inc., a community support organization for Hispanic minorities;
• Latarsha Williams, of Ithaca; communication; Battle Family Memorial Fellowship, for an African-American student with a commitment to working with children; and
• Lydia Wong, of Fayetteville, N.C.; civil and environmental engineering; special assistance fund for a student.