Awards given at the 2009 Valedictory Exercises

May 16, 2009 — Awards given at the 2009 Valedictory Exercises today at John Paul Jones Arena:

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards

Each year, the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation sponsors awards at 54 colleges in the southeastern United States to individuals who have served others, their institutions and their wider communities. This year's U.Va. honorees are Jason M. Franasiak, who will graduate from the School of Medicine; Tamira D. Roberson, a College of Arts & Sciences student who will receive her bachelor's degree in foreign affairs; and Carol Wood, assistant vice president for public affairs.


Seven Society Awards

* Louis A. Onesty Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award: Andrew D. Carraway, a member of the U.Va. baseball team, which is finishing its 2009 season today against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

* James Earle Sargeant Award: Student Entrepreneurs for Economic Development. SEED, as it's known, is a student-run organization that offers free, comprehensive consulting services to non-governmental organizations and social entrepreneurs around the world, with a particular emphasis on microfinance. The award was accepted by 2008-09 president Yix Ng.


Class of 2009 Awards

* Community Service: Charles Graham Evans IV, who next year will co-lead a traveling art and education center called Nourishment, a garden and kitchen aboard a retrofitted biofuels bus.

* Cultural Fluency: Hedieh Fakhriyazdi, an architecture major, who has worked for sustainable development in Chile and for human and women's rights in Iran.

* The Pursuit of Happiness: Jeremy Rowe, a Charlottesville native, who classmates said radiates positive energy and embodies Wahoo pride. This was the first time this award has been given.


Society of the Purple Shadows Award

Gordon F. Rainey Jr. Award for Vigilance to the Student Experience: Alexander G. "Sandy" Gilliam Jr., who recently retired as secretary to the Board of Visitors to become University historian and protocol officer.