Students Honored at Fourth Annual Academic, Service, and Leadership Awards

Loyola Marymount University celebrated student achievements in academics, service, and leadership on Friday, April 24, 2026, during the fourth annual and largest Student Academic, Service, and Leadership Awards (SASLA) to date. The event recognized over 230 awards presented to individual students, registered student organizations, and club sports who have demonstrated exceptional academic excellence and leadership, honoring first-year students, graduating seniors, and graduate students. These students exemplify the ideals of Jesuit and Marymount traditions. The livestream is available here.

"Each of you pairs your LMU education with your unique gifts to further interdisciplinary research and engage in ethical discourse, all while showing up for one another and your community," shared President Thomas Poon, Ph.D. "As scholars and artists, your innovative and creative works shine in spaces such as the second annual Disability Studies Conference, the New Works Festival, the Engineering and Computer Science Design Showcase, and the Thomas P. Kelly Jr. Student Art Gallery. As emerging professionals, you balance rigorous course schedules with internships, mentorships, and networking events."

Seniors and graduates in the Class of 2026 were recognized with the university's highest honors, including:

Sadie Ann Nanson '26, an honors student majoring in Women's and Gender Studies and English, received the University Scholar of the Year award, presented to a four-year undergraduate who has achieved the best overall academic record in the graduating class. Nanson was also named a Program Scholar for both English and Women's and Gender Studies, in addition to the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts' Erlandson Award, a Presidential Citation, and a McKay Award.

Four students, Jenna Avani Ellinghuyseni, Molly Louise Robison, MyLék JaJa McDowell, and Jasmine Cherelle Davis, received the Arrupe Inclusive Excellence and Social Justice Awards, reserved for graduating seniors and graduate students who have shown a record of explicit work with diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. The award is named in honor of Jesuit Superior General Pedro Arrupe, S.J., who worked tirelessly to promote justice in the service of faith. The University Intercultural Council selects awardees, who in turn select students who demonstrate robust academic achievement and outstanding contributions to inclusive excellence and social justice.

Jenna Ellinghuysen '26, a pre-med student majoring in biology, was the first recipient honored with an Arrupe Inclusive Excellence and Social Justice Award. As a student who leads with both intellect and heart, she balances rigorous academics with a passion for building inclusive communities and advocating for others. Ellinghuysen has conducted research at LMU, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, and the U.S. State Department Diplomacy Lab. She is known for turning compassion into action: Mentoring peers, advancing equity initiatives, and supporting those facing food insecurity. Ellinghuysen has held numerous leadership roles on campus and is also receiving a McKay Senior Award and a Presidential Citation.

Molly Louise Robison '26, an entrepreneurship major,is a visionary builder who meets barriers with creativity, courage, and care. As an entrepreneurship major and a Rising Star Award recipient, Robison pairs business insight with a strong commitment to community. Through her work with the LMU Family Business Entrepreneurship Program and the Panhellenic Council, she builds connection and belonging. Robison's impact extends beyond campus with the Third Space App, which connects isolated communities to welcoming places. She is the founder of Quinn Bakery, inspired by her vision of an inclusive, mission-driven café staffed entirely by deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent workers.

MyLék JaJa McDowell '26 was named the first graduate Arrupe recipient who embodies inclusive excellence, turning lived experience into transformative action. Through a partnership with LMU's Save It Forward Program and Educating Students Together, a Black-led nonprofit, he designed and led a multi-day financial literacy and entrepreneurship program for foster youth and low-income students. He equipped participants with tools to understand credit, budgeting, and long-term financial decision-making. When staffing challenges threatened the program, McDowell stepped up to take full ownership, developing and delivering it independently within the community. After graduation, he plans to continue this work through initiatives like ROI University, which helps first-generation students make informed college and financial decisions.

Jasmine Davis was named this year's doctoral Arrupe recipient for transforming her lived experience into impactful research. Her dissertation centers around Black women educators in urban public schools, highlighting how racialized and gendered expectations lead to unseen emotional labor and burnout. As both researcher and fellow educator, Jasmine built trust for honest conversations about supporting students, leading equity efforts, and navigating the burdens of being relied upon yet often undervalued. Her work embraces responsibility through equitable workloads and culturally responsive leadership. Beyond Jasmine's research, her advocacy bridges scholarship, practice, and policy. She is guided by clarity and compassion and is advancing a vision of inclusive excellence where educators and students can thrive.

The final awards of the program included the Marian, Loughran, Magis, and the Robert Graham, S.J. Alumni Awards:

Alyssa Rodriguez '26 received the 2026 Marian Award, an honor influenced by Jesuit and Marymount ideals. A biology major grounded in curiosity and care, with a minor in theological studies that shapes how she sees both healing and humanity. As a research assistant at LMU and the Keck School of Medicine, Rodriguez contributes to discovery and innovation. On campus, her leadership spans classrooms, residence halls, and communities in need. As a member of the Marians Service Organization and a resident advisor, Rodriguez has built a community rooted in compassion and responsibility. She has served as vice president of Leones for Community Medicine, extending care beyond campus walls. As an Academic Community of Excellence Scholar and McNair Scholar, Rodriguez has demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to expanding opportunity in higher education. She is a leader and a future physician driven by service. She also received a McKay Senior Award and a Presidential Citation.

Mariah Allen '26 was selected from the graduating class as the Valedictorian and will address the Class of 2026 during the 114th Undergraduate Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 16. The Valedictorian has maintained a minimum 3.7 grade point average after at least 60 graded semester hours in residence at the university and is selected based on a speech presented to the Valedictorian Selection Committee, a delegation of faculty, administration, and students. Allen was also selected for this year's Ignatian Award, a Presidential Citation, and a McKay Award. At LMU, her presence is felt far beyond the classroom. As a peer success leader in the Academic Community of Excellence and an Intercultural Facilitator, she has built bridges across LMU's communities. On campus, she also serves as president of Alpha Sigma Nu, the national Jesuit honor society, and the president of this year's Student Organization of the Year, the Black Student Union, which was also honored at this year's event.

This year's James Loughran, S.J., Award for community service was awarded to Joseph Slaybaugh '26, a mechanical engineering major who believes service and leadership belong at the heart of innovation. Guided by a desire to foster collaboration, empower others, and build meaningful connections, he stepped into leadership with Special Games, Alternative Breaks Immersions, and Magis Service Organization, serving first as vice president of Service and later as president. Slaybaugh has been a consistent presence at Verbum Dei High School as a tutor and mentor, and for nearly four years, he has spent almost every Saturday serving at the Blessed Sacrament Church food pantry, building real relationships rooted in dignity and care.

The Magis Award is a special, distinct honor reserved for unique contributions to our community, often driven by singular passion and grit. Thomas Klapp '26, a graduate student, was named the first of two 2026 Magis Award recipients, who has consistently shown up, enthusiastically, for our LMU community. Even as a graduate student, he has been present at countless athletic events, bringing energy, creativity, and momentum that elevate the experience for everyone around him. Klapp embodies what it means to give more, to go beyond what is expected in the service of the community. His presence is felt, his impact is real, and his commitment reflects the very essence of the Magis. As president and founder of the Mane Zone, Klapp has not only supported school spirit but also helped build and shape it. Through his leadership, he has fostered a culture of engagement, pride, and connection across our student body.

The second Magis recipient honored was Valentina Leiva '26, an economics major, who also received a Merrifield Award for their significant contributions to advancing interculturalism on campus and beyond. Leiva was also honored with a McKay Award, a Presidential Citation, and the Student Ambassador of the Year award. As a peer advisor in Career and Professional Development, she invests in students' growth and success. Leiva has demonstrated exceptional leadership on the Student Affairs Advisory Board and as president of LMU's Residence Hall Association, where she supported executive board members and residence hall teams while helping develop inclusive, identity-affirming programming. Deeply committed to service and social justice, she has served as the membership chair and vice president of Belles Service Organization, supporting survivors of domestic violence. As an international student from Argentina, Leiva remains highly engaged with the international student community, working to connect global students with resources and opportunities, including helping to restart the International Student Association. She exemplifies what it means to build bridges, foster inclusive communities, and dedicate herself to service to something greater than herself.

Juliana Roman '26 was named as the first recipient of the Robert Graham, S.J., Alumni Award for leading with intention, advocacy, and a deep commitment to community. As a lead programmer, she brings students together through thoughtful collaboration, creating consistent spaces for dialogue, accountability, and action that strengthen the Latinx community and shape institutional support at LMU. One of Roman's recent projects was leading Mesa Cooperativa, a coalition of Latinx student leaders who met with her to voice how the department can better support students, strengthening the Lion community. Recognizing a gap in support, she founded Leones for Community Medicine, a pre-health organization dedicated to Latinx students, building a close-knit community grounded in encouragement, shared experience, and equity. That same commitment extends beyond campus, where she teaches martial arts, adjusting her own resources to ensure young students feel capable, supported, and confident. Guided by Jesuit values, Roman carries forward a belief that small acts can create lasting change.

Kaitlin Pintens '26, a psychology major, received the Robert Graham, S.J. Alumni Award for exceptional leadership at LMU, in addition to a Presidential Citation. Described as driven, thoughtful, and deeply committed, Pintens embodied LMU's values through leadership rooted in service and care for others. Her leadership flourished through service, helping to shape communities within LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts as a founding member of the Dean's Advisory Board, and creating spaces for dialogue, celebration, and connection through events like BCLA Spirit Week and Senior Sip. As president of the Marians Service Organization, she built a community focused on women and children, welcoming 14 new members and ensuring each was meaningfully engaged. Guided by cura personalis, Pintens listens, bridges communities, and empowers others, preparing to carry these values into public health and beyond.

The 2026 SASLA convocation also included awards for Program Scholars, College and School Scholars, Presidential Citations, the Raymundo McKay R.S.H.M. awards to graduating seniors, Alfred Kilp, S.J. awards for juniors, Renee L. Harrangue, Ph.D. awards for sophomores, Peg Dolan, R.S.H.M. awards for first-year students, Student Life awards, Student EXP and Graduate Student EXP Awards. The complete list of recipients can be viewed here.