2009 BEAUDRY AWARD FINALISTS

Samantha, originally from Poland, Ohio, is studying Sociology and African Studies. During her time at John Carroll, she invested herself in a number of activities and campus events that demonstrated her commitment to leadership, Christian values, academic achievement, and service:

Leadership
Samantha has taken a number of leadership roles at John Carroll with various organizations and in the planning of a number of campus events. She has been involved with the Labre Project ministry to the homeless as driver and core planning team member for two years, was selected as one of 13 student leaders of the ’06 New Student Orientation Staff, and served as a student leader for the Fall Orientation Service Project for three years. Samantha co-founded both the Teen Leadership Academy at St. Malachi’s Center and the World View Magazine, for which she served as copy editor for two issues. She has also served on leadership boards of: the American Cancer Society Relay For Life of JCU as On-Campus Recruitment Manager, Event Co-Chair, and Finance Chair; and the JCU chapter of Amnesty International. She also involved herself with planning the “Take Back the Night”, the Queer Monologues as co-director, and Every Two Minutes, for which she also gives presentations on sexual assault. She is a leader in Campus Ministry as well, leading the First Year Retreat and leading and co-leading the Manresa Retreat. Samantha has also shown leadership as well in attending a number of conferences and workshops, including: the White Privilege Conference, the National Jesuit Student Leader Conference, five American Cancer Society conferences and workshops, and three Inter-Religious Taskforce Annual Social Justice Teach-Ins.
Samantha has been recognized in a number of ways for her leadership abilities. She was inducted into the National Residence Hall Honorary, and was awarded three Student Union Student Leader of the Year awards and two Campus Ministry Student Leader awards. She is also a featured student profile on the “Get Involved!” portion of the JCU website, and was a featured speaker at the Presidential Convocation for first-year students.

Commitment to Christian Values
Samantha has shown her commitment to Christian values throughout her four years at John Carroll, especially through faith-sharing and integration of this faith in the promotion of justice. She has had a number of Campus Ministry retreat experiences, including First Year Retreat as participant and leader; the Manresa Retreat as participant, leader, and co-leader; as well as the Guidance Retreat, CLC Retreat, Eight-Day Silent Retreat, and Day of Silence Reflection and Prayer. She was also a member of a Christian Life Community, and has been a member of chapel choir and Praise and Worship celebrations throughout her four years, and has attended both Catholic mass and Lutheran worship services. Promotion of justice is an important way for Samantha to live out her Christian values. She has done this at John Carroll in a number of ways, including through involvement with international issues (J.U.S.T.I.C.E., World View Magazine, Amnesty International, S.O.A. protest, experiences in Ecuador and Mexico), women’s issues (Every Two Minutes, actress in Vagina Monologues, and Take Back the Night), homelessness (Labre Project, Catholic Worker storefront), LGBT (Allies, actress in Queer Monologues), respect for life (Right to Life March in D.C., actress in The Exonerated), poverty (Famicos Foundation internship) and the achievement gap (St. Malachi’s Center Teen Leadership Academy). She also works part-time for the Campus Ministry Department, assisting with immersion experiences, the Fair Trade movement, and other social justice initiatives.

Academic Achievement
Samantha has had a number of academic achievements as well. She will graduate this May having maintained a 3.72 GPA, earning the distinction of magna cum laude, and will have completed two tracks within the Sociology major as well as a concentration in African Studies. She has completed two internships with Famicos Foundation Community Development Corporation and Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services. She has been inducted into both Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit National Honor Society and Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. She applied for two scholarships for her senior year, the $10,000 Roderick Boyd Porter Memorial Scholarship for the Humanities for which she was one of three finalists, and the $2500 Al DeGulis Alpha Sigma Nu Scholarship, which she was awarded. She has been honored on the Dean’s List all semesters, and presented three pieces of original work at Celebration of Scholarship.

Service to the University and/or Civic Community
Service is also very important to Samantha. She has volunteered extensively with those who are impoverished and homeless with the Labre Project and at the Catholic Worker Storefront, and she has done work to close the achievement gap with her work at St. Malachi’s Center Teen Leadership Academy. She has done manual service work with the Fall Orientation Service Project for three years, and also spent mornings with elderly Hispanic men and women at La Providencia Senior Center. She has also had experience serving outside of Cleveland, traveling to Charleston, S.C. with Habitat for Humanity for a service trip over Spring Break; to Duran, Ecuador with a Campus Ministry immersion experience; and to Tijuana, Mexico, with the Honors Program. Samantha has very recently been offered a placement with Jesuit Volunteers International to spend two years after graduation on the island of Pohnpei, Micronesia, teaching English, Math, Religion, and Music at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School.

Julie Myers is an English and Catholic Studies major from Hartville, OH. Over the course of her four years at John Carroll, she has been actively involved in the following areas:

Leadership
During her sophomore year, Julie was a first-year mentor and helped five students with the transition process into college. She has also participated in Through the Eyes of a Child. Julie has been the cross country team captain her junior and senior years here on the JCU team. She has been a CLC leader for two years. John Carroll sponsored her attendance at the National Jesuit Student Leader Conference in July 2008. This spring, she organized a group from Cleveland to travel to D.C. to work with Witness Against Torture's “100 Days Campaign” where they held a vigil daily outside the White House and worked with local communities that were speaking out against U.S. sanctioned violence.

Commitment to Christian Values
Julie has been a Eucharistic minister and sacristan here in the Saint Francis chapel for three years. She has been a CLC member for four years, and is currently serving as the chairperson for CLC retreats. She is a member of J.U.S.T.I.C.E., the student social justice organization. She has traveled to Fort Benning, Georgia for the annual “Shut Down the School of Americas” protest and vigil. She has also attended the 2009 Climate Justice Rally in D.C. Finally, she has participated in the Eight Day Silent Retreat in 2007 and the Guidance Retreat in 2008.
Academic Achievement

Academic Achievement
Julie has been on the Dean's List three times and is twice an Academic All-American. She participated in the 2009 Celebration of Scholarship, presenting on Rastafarianism in Jamaica. Julie is also the recipient of the 2008 Dean Buckley Award through the Catholic Studies Department and is also an editor for World View Magazine, a student-run social justice publication.

Service to the University and/or Civic Community
For the past two years Julie has been a member of the Cleveland Catholic Worker community. She serves as a volunteer at a drop-in center for those with low-income or who are homeless. The center is open five days a week and the community is committed to living simply. Through her time there, Julie has become involved in a community gardening project during the spring and summer on the Near West Side of Cleveland. She seeds, maintains, and harvests vegetables for the Catholic Worker Community. Julie has also participated in an immersion experience to Kingston, Jamaica in May 2008. In Jamaica, she met with local community leaders who were working to reduce violence through education and other projects. She states, “It was extremely challenging but a wonderful learning experience.”

Peter is from Seven Hills, Ohio and will be graduating with a major in Finance and a minor in Computer Science.  He has been involved in a variety of student organizations including Rhapsody Blue, Beta Theta Pi, WJCU 88.7, the Finance Association, and the Italian Club. 
 
Leadership
Peter was the host of “The Undiscovered” on WJCU 88.7 for two and a half years, a radio show dedicated to showcasing the best local bands in Northeast Ohio.  He quickly gained popularity as a radio host and generated the most donations of any student disc-jockey in the 2008 WJCU Radiothon.  As a sophomore, Peter served as the assistant director of the 2007 Mentorship Program, which assisted incoming freshman in becoming acclimated to the opportunities available at John Carroll.  He also served as a First Year Retreat leader in 2006 and facilitated small group activities.  As a junior, he became a founding father of Beta Theta Pi and served as the chorister.  In his junior and senior year, Peter served as the assistant and senior music director of Rhapsody Blue, an all-male a cappella group on campus.  He was responsible for arranging and teaching new songs to the rest of the group as well as organizing larger performances.   Peter has been a John Carroll tour guide since the Fall semester of his sophomore year and  has served as a student representative in the Committee for University Enrollment. 

Commitment to Christian Values
In his first couple years at JCU, Peter played the guitar and sang in the Praise and Worship Band.  As a sophomore he was a First Year Retreat Leader.  Additionally, he has volunteered to perform as a singer and guitarist at various liturgy services, and has served as both a Eucharistic Minister and lector at St. Francis Chapel.  Peter has volunteered to perform at various social justice and charity events on campus, such as Relay for Life, Kappa Alpha Theta’s “Mr. University,” Kappa Kappa Gamma’s “Dance Marathon,” and “Rock Out AIDS.” 
           
Academic Achievement
Peter has been on the Dean’s list each semester and has been inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, Phi Eta Sigma, and Alpha Sigma Nu.  In addition, he was recently granted the Wall Street Journal Award by the Finance Department.  Peter also received first place in the 2006 Hyde Park Speech Competition.

Service to the University and/or Civic Community
Peter has organized and participated in various charity events including helping coordinate the 2007 WJCU Blizzard Bash which raised funds and canned food for the homeless.  A few months ago he helped organize the ‘Concert for Lindsay’ in which over $2,000 was raised and contributed to the Lindsay Matthews Foundation.  Peter has also participated in other charity events administered by Beta Theta Pi, such as ‘Carroll’s Got Talent.’ Other honors for Peter while at JCU include: Homecoming King in 2008, Mr. University in 2007, and receiving the 2007 WJCU Disc Jockey of the Year award.  

Natalie is a Religious Studies major. Since joining the JCU community four years ago she has participated in and accomplished the following:

Leadership
Natalie has served in several different leadership positions throughout her time at John Carroll.  During her junior year, she served the freshman of Murphy Hall as a Resident Assistant, and she spent the fall of her senior year working as a Senior Resident Assistant in Campion Hall.  She also served as the social chair, and then vice president for the Organization of Resident Assistants.  Natalie was chosen to lead both the 2007 Immokalee, Florida Immersion Experience and the 2008 Kingston, Jamaica Immersion Experience.  She led the Manresa 10 retreat and was selected to be one of two Co-Leaders for Manresa 14.  Natalie also served as the Manager for Recruitment and Development for the 2008 Relay for Life of JCU.

Commitment to Christian Values
Natalie's Christian upbringing has played an integral role in her involvement at John Carroll.  She attends Sunday mass regularly, and has participated in the liturgical choir for the 10pm mass.  She has been actively involved in the Manresa retreat, Guidance retreat, and Immersion Experiences.  Natalie's desire to grow in her faith has led her to pursue a degree in Religious Studies. She believes that learning about the foundations of her religion and putting her faith into action are the key ingredients to growing in spirituality.   

Academic Achievement
Graduating as a Religious Studies major, Natalie has earned a place on Dean's List every semester and is expected to graduate magna cum laude.  She was honored to be inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu, the Jesuit honor society that places emphasis on scholarship, loyalty, and service, and Phi Eta Sigma, the freshman honor society. 

Service to the University and/or Civic Community
The Jesuit influence has reaffirmed Natalie's commitment to serving others.  She has been working in Campus Ministry since her sophomore year, where she has assisted with CLC's, promotion of post-graduate volunteer service, and general operations.  She has been actively involved with the Manresa retreat as well as participating in three immersion experiences to Nazareth Farm, Immokalee, and Jamaica. During her junior year, Natalie had the opportunity to sit on the Residence Life Advisory Board.  Natalie is also a member of Every 2 Minutes, a sexual assault peer education group, and she has been a part of the planning process for Take Back the Night for the past two years.  Currently, Natalie is participating in a social justice play entitled “The Exonerated,” that highlights the stories of six people who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to the death penalty.  After graduation, Natalie hopes to teach religion and work in campus ministry at the high school level where she will be able to continue to answer her call to serve others.

Doug is an Economics and Political Science major from Jefferson, OH and although he studied in Washington, DC for a semester he has been quite active at JCU in the following ways:

Leadership
Doug has been a leader in several organizations during his time at JCU.  For the past two years, he has been President of Circle K, a community service organization.  Through this position, he has helped oversee dozens of service projects. He has been a coordinator of the Through the Eyes of a Child Christmas celebration and Project Hope service project, both of which involve 75 children and over 100 JCU student volunteers each year.  Doug has also been involved in student government, serving as a Senator in the Student Union during the 2007 calendar year.  In this position, he was a student co-coordinator of the 2007 Footprints for Fatima Charity Race. Doug has also been an active leader in campus ministry.  He has been a CLC leader for the past two years, preparing weekly reflections and leading a group of students in weekly faith discussions.  He was also a leader for the 2006 First Year Retreat. Finally, Doug is very proud to be a co-founder of the Seeds of Hope mentorship program, a mentorship program for at-risk teens.  This program provides JCU mentors for 30 middle-school students to help provide them guidance and support.  Doug wrote and received a grant from the Jimmy Carter Foundation to help start the program.        

Commitment to Christian Values 
Doug has demonstrated a firm commitment to Christian values, including both faith-based activities and a commitment to working for justice.  He has been involved in liturgy, serving as a Lector and Eucharistic minister at campus masses.  He has participated in numerous retreats, including the 2005 First Year Retreat, 2006 Manresa 9 Retreat, and 2008 Guidance Retreat.  He also served as a leader on the 2006 First Year Retreat, for which he helped plan the retreat and led a small group reflection. He has also been active in Christian Life Communities (CLC) during his four years on campus, serving a leader during the past two years. His Christian values have also motivated Doug to become an advocate for justice.  He attended the 2006 School of the Americas march and Jesuit teach-in, where he supported a greater respect for human rights in Latin America.  He also participated in the 2007 March for Life, where he advocated for the protection of human life.  Finally, through his participation in numerous immersion trips, Doug has learned of the importance of seeking justice for all people in the world.  

Academic Achievement
Doug is a member of the honors program, and has been named to the Dean’s List for every semester on campus.  He has been inducted into the Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Societies, which celebrate academic achievement.  He has made several presentations at the Celebration of Scholarship, including research papers.  He has also received several awards from the Economic Department, including the Junior achievement award in 2008, the 2009 Economics Achievement Award, and the 2009 John Marshall Gersting Award to the outstanding graduating major in Economics. Doug has also developed his academic experience through study programs and internships outside of the classroom.  He spent a summer in Monterrey, Mexico, where he improved his Spanish skills and learned about Hispanic culture.  In addition, he spent a semester as a research intern at the American Enterprise Institute, a think tank in Washington, DC, where he helped research policy proposals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.  Finally, Doug has worked this past year as a tutor in the Department of Economics and Finance, where he helped students improve their understanding of Economics and Business Statistics.

Service to the University and Civic Community    
Doug has been very engaged in service throughout his time at John Carroll.  He has volunteered his time to serve the homeless of Cleveland, participating in the Catholic Worker service project and Labre project.  He has also been a four-year member of Circle K, in which he participated in a number of volunteer projects, including projects for the Ronald McDonald House, Cleveland Clinic, Judson Park Retirement Center, and Shaker Family Center.  He helped coordinate the Through the Eyes of a Child Christmas celebration and Project Hope service projects, both of which provide service to over 75 children.  He has also been active in the Seeds of Hope Mentorship Program, helping to start a program to mentor 30 at-risk youth from Cleveland.  He was also a student co-coordinator of the 2007 Footprints for Fatima 5K Run, which helped serve the local community.  Finally, Doug has participated in several immersion trips, including trips in Tijuana, Mexico; Managua, Nicaragua; and Cleveland, Ohio.  Through these experiences, he had the opportunity to learn about poverty in different regions, build community with the poor in these areas, and participate in service projects.

Matthew Wooters is a senior Political Science major from Silver Spring, MD. He has invested himself in many areas across campus as evident by his participation in the following:

Leadership
During his freshmen and sophomore years, Matthew served on the Executive Board for Spring Concert Committee as the Volunteers Chair and Security Chair. He was the Legion of Student Organizations (LSO) representative for the John Carroll University Rowing team his freshman year as well. Matthew is one of the founding fathers of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity. He served as a Resident Assistant fall of 2008 and was Pledge Educator for Beta Theta Pi. Matthew co-led the first JCU immersion trip to an orphanage in Reynosa, Mexico.  Other leadership positions include SIFE project manager, Manresa 12 Student Leader, and JCU Tour guide.

Commitment to Christian Values            
Matthew has been a member of Christian Life Communities (CLC), attended the Guidance Retreat and participated in the Manresa Retreat 11 and 12 as a leader. He has also participated in the ‘Day of Silence’ retreat and helped to organize the ‘Living Simply Retreat’ for 2009.
 
Academic Achievement
Matthew is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the Political Science Honor Society. Matthew has been on the Dean’s List and his independent study this semester focuses on Child Soldiers in Northern Uganda. For this project Matthew created an informational video to raise awareness and funds for a rehabilitation center for former sex slaves.  This video has earned him the invitation to a speaking tour of local Catholic high schools in the DC area to raise awareness for this cause. Matthew also studies abroad in the Vatican City in the fall of 2007.

Service to the University and/or Civic Community
Matthew has served the JCU community by sharing school spirit as the mascot “Lobo” for JCU Men’s Basketball Games. He is a member of “One in Four” and has participated in the “Through the Eyes of a Child” event that brings underserved children to JCU for an afternoon of holiday festivities. Matthew has assisted in feeding the homeless of Cleveland through the St. Benedict Joseph Labre Project and acted as an event collaborator for the “Concert for Lindsay.”  Matthew ran a marathon in honor of his father who is a Leukemia survivor and raised over $5,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Matthew has also participated in multiple immersion experiences. One such immersion was to Louisville, Kentucky to teach English to newly arrived refugees and immigrants. Another immersion to Biloxi, Mississippi  afforded him the opportunity to participate in Hurricane Katrina Relief. This past January Matthew was invited to the Service Nation Breakfast “A Call to Serve” in Washington DC. He studied the social and economic development of Ghana while there during the summer of 2008. Matthew plans to continue to learn about other cultures and advocate for the poor and the marginalized as he has recently been accepted to the Jesuit Volunteers International (JVI) program where he will be living in Belize, teaching religion and leading retreats.