In line with its goal of connecting alumni to each other for the benefit of the Penn and Philadelphia community, the Penn Alumni Club of Philadelphia is looking to recognize students who have made a social impact in the community.
“We want to show that going to Penn doesn’t just give you a degree,” said Andrew Rosenthal, the Alumni Club’s president. “We want to show that going to Penn actually means something.”
With that in mind, the Club is awarding a cash prize of $1,000 to a student who has engaged locally through community service and civic engagement.
Seniors or graduate students in their last year of study are eligible to apply for the award.
Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to making a social impact in Philadelphia through academic or extra-curricular activities.
They should also plan to remain in the Philadelphia region after graduation.
Applications are due March 15, and the award winner will be announced on Ivy Day, May 15.
Penn students are some of the “most civically-minded in the world,” Penn Executive Director of Alumni Relations Elise Betz said. This award will recognize those students who have gone out of their way to make an impact on the community around them.
Finalists will be chosen by a selection committee of 10 University administrators and Philadelphia leaders, including Penn Trustee Claire Lomax and Associate Director of Penn President Amy Gutmann’s office Leah Popowich.
The group is “an incredible selection committee,” Betz said.
“The Penn community is full of highly talented students who are making a huge impact in Philadelphia through important and innovative civic engagement,” Popowich said.
“The application process is meant to bring out even more stories about Penn student engagement and to showcase those stories, which will inspire the broader community,” she continued.
Lomax said she applauds the Club for “creating an award that highlights community service and civic engagement — two very laudable aspirations.”
Betz agreed, pointing out that the Club won the Alumni Club of Merit award in 2009.
“They’re an incredible club, and this initiative shows their commitment to the priorities of the University, as well as the tenets of the Penn Compact” Betz said.
The Club ultimately wants to give students the chance to “define things as they see them” in the Philadelphia community through this award, “especially those who typically work under the radar and are not recognized for the amazing work they do,” Rosenthal said.
The award will highlight “those who acknowledge that the University isn’t apart from Philadelphia, but that it’s a part of Philadelphia,” he added.
“Penn students are known for their passion for local engagement and making a difference in the community, so I anticipate the Committee having its work cut out for it,” Popowich said.
