Citizenship and Civic Engagement Program Scholarships and Awards

Each year, the Maxwell Program in Citizenship and Civic Engagement (CCE) makes a number of awards and funding opportunities available to our students, thanks to the ongoing generosity of alumni, the CCE Advisory Board, supporters, external funders, and the Maxwell Dean’s Office.

High Impact Experience Scholars Initiative

CCE believes in the power of transformative learning experiences outside the classroom: summer work with community partners to jumpstart a Senior Action Plan, archival and fieldwork in support of capstone projects and Honors Theses, papers and poster presentations at regional or national research conferences, resume-enhancing off-campus training workshops, community engagement activities while studying abroad.

CCE supports these types of activities each year through the High Impact Experience Scholarship Initiative. Awarded on a competitive basis, recent High Impact Experience Scholarships have defrayed student expenses like:

an internship with Syracuse Innovation Office, Syracuse, New York
a research project throughout New York State on Women's Suffrage
volunteer work at St. Aloysius Education Clinic, Inc, New York City
an internship with Nourish International in Uganda, Africa

The Call for Proposals (CFP) for High Impact Experience Scholars funding goes out in late March/early April each year.

CCE’s Highest Honor: The Civically Engaged Citizen Award

Each year, students, community partners, faculty and staff nominate seniors for CCE’s crowning achievement, the Civically Engaged Citizen Award.

To celebrate our very first graduating class in 2016, The John Ben Snow Foundation generously funded this honor (called the John Ben Snow Merit Award). Every year since, we have continued the celebration of student excellence through the CCE Civically Engaged Citizen Award.

CCE presents it at our Senior Dinner to the student who most exemplifies the spirit of CCE by demonstrating:

Exceptional Academics
Dedication to a career in public service
Legacy of substantial impact on an important policy-related field

The call for nominations goes out in early April each year.

Previous Award Recipients

2019 Winner: Audra Linsner

Dual Major: Advertising/CCE

Inaugural Lead Mentor of the CCE Peer Mentoring Program, Remembrance Scholar, President—Otto’s Army, Believe in Syracuse Fellow, Resident Hall Advisor

Audra Linsner’s “can do” spirit is irresistible and infectious, which is why many of her CCE peers considered her a leader and mentor. She epitomizes a core CCE program value—respectful engagement. According to a CCE alum who served as one of Audra’s nominators, “college students will often leave campus to volunteer in a city to fulfill a requirement or to feel better about themselves. While Audra has given plenty of time to various volunteer projects, she sees Syracuse as a place filled with incredible people from whom to learn and full of positive things to show case. For her Action Plan, she took advertising to a different level through her work with Believe in Syracuse, and in the process instilled her passion for the city in many of her peers.”

CCE Community Placement: Believe in Syracuse
MAX 302 Research Topic: Place Branding and Socioeconomic Disparities
MAX 401 Action Plan: Syracuse Relocation Guide

2018 Winner: Kennedy Patlan

Triple Major: Advertising/Women’s and Gender Studies/CCE
POSSE Miami Scholar, Blackstone LaunchPad Engagement Scholar, Remembrance Scholar, Resident Hall Advisor

Kennedy Patlan received six independent nominations that spoke to different facets of her contribution to the CCE community during her time in the program. One nomination in particular, however, summed up what made her stand out: “Kennedy Patlan embodies the characteristics CCE cultivates. She is constantly trying to make her community a better place, and through her service as a Remembrance scholar, a resident advisor, and the Blackstone LaunchPad Engagement Scholar, she succeeds. She also acts as a mentor to other disabled students, and provides advice and support to them on a regular basis. However, she takes it a step further and looks to the root of the problem. She actively tries to better Syracuse University by working to make SU’s policies and future plans more accessible to the Disability Community and other marginalized communities. Kennedy undoubtedly exemplifies what CCE is about.” Currently, Kennedy works at the Ad Council in Washington, DC.

CCE Community Placement: Syracuse University Department of Government and Community Relations
MAX 302 Research Topic: Creating a Campus Fourth Sector: How can SU Students collaborate to create an experiential learning platform for social impact?
MAX 401 Action Plan: Skills-Based Matchmaking Software: Effectively Pairing Student Volunteers and Nonprofits

2017 Winner: Carolee Lantigua

Triple Major: Policy Studies/Political Science/CCE
McNair Fellow, Renee Crown Honors Program, Dean's Team, Runner Up: Best Paper, Maxwell Celebration of Undergraduate Excellence, 2017

As one student who nominated Carolee stated: "she never fails to impress me, from inside the classroom, to her independent research, she is always eager to share, help peers and learn more. Her eagerness to learn and to be informed are all traits I believe make an exemplary citizen and a perfect candidate for this award." Another staff nominator shared: "I feel as though CCE has greatly benefited from her consistently strong presence in the program both inside and outside of the classroom. She has volunteered on many occasions to represent CCE at events, with prospective students and current students. She is thoughtful, gracious and dependable." Following graduation, Carolee earned a Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Maxwell School in 2018. She is now a Project Associate at the National Quality Forum (NQF) in Washington, DC.

CCE Community Placement: Girls' Inc at the YWCA
MAX 302 Research Paper Topic: No Woman Left Behind? A Study on the Gender Dimension of Brain Drain and its Effect on Education within the Outsourcing Country
MAX 401 Action Plan: Sexual Assault Prevention through Gender Synchronized Programming

2016 Winner of the John Ben Snow Merit Award: Michelle Sczpanski

Triple Major: Policy Studies/Public Relations/CCE
Dual: SI Newhouse School of Public Communication, College of Arts and Sciences/Maxwell School

Michelle is most passionate about poverty alleviation and economic mobility, particularly within the areas of education, community development, and social enterprise. “CCE provided me with both the flexibility to build my own academic experience around my interests and the opportunity to translate that into something tangible in the real-world.” Originally from Ohio, Michelle stayed in Syracuse, where she is now a Codes Data & Planning Liaison for the City of Syracuse.

CCE Community Placement: Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County
MAX 302 Research Paper Topic: Local Efforts to Limit Summer Learning Loss
MAX 401 Action Plan: Slowing the Summer Slide: Increasing Enrollment in Syracuse's Summer Learning Programs

A Community of Excellence

Students majoring in Citizenship and Civic Engagement are driven, accomplished scholars. Our students have won numerous awards on and off campus. Current CCE students, please let us know of your accomplishments! We would like to recognize you here.

Externally Funded Awards

Blackstone Launchpad Engagement Fellows

Luz Perez (EEE/CCE ’20)
Kennedy Patlan (ADV/WGS/CCE ’18)

Fulbright Teaching Fellows

Rachel Brown-Weinstock (SOC/PAF/CCE ’17) South Africa
Hasmik Djoulakian (ETS/WGS/CCE ’17) Armenia

Gilman International Scholars

Yara Osman (IR/CCE ’19) Ghana
Estephany Hinojosa (SOC/PAF/CCE ’18) South Africa
Michelle Kincaid (IR/PAF/CCE ’18) Chile
Heather Rounds (MES/CCE ’16) Jordan

George C. Marshall Scholar

Dina Eldawy (IR/CCE ’19) University of Sussex & Oxford University, United Kingdom

Ronald E. McNair Scholars

Lie'Chelle Robinson Hernandez (PSC/CCE ’19)
Awa Kone (PSC/PAF/CCE ’19)
Samantha Sanchez (GEO/CCE ’19)
Estephany Hinojosa (SOC/PAF/CCE ’18)
Carolee Lantigua (PSC/PAF/CCE ’17)
Willow Faulkner (IR/CCE ’16)
Karen Castro (IR/LAS/CCE ’16)
Hermela Dereje (IR/CCE ‘16)

National Science Foundation Doctoral Fellowship

Rachel Brown-Weinstock (SOC/PAF/CCE ’17) Princeton University

POSSE Scholars

Luz Perez (EEE/CCE ’20)
Simone Girma (TRF/CCE ’19)
Kennedy Patlan (ADV/WGS/CCE ’18)
Dulce Morales (PAF/CCE ’18)
Taryne Chatman (AAS/PPI/CCE ‘18)

Harry S. Truman Scholar

Dina Eldawy (IR/CCE ’19)

Syracuse University Awards and Achievements

Syracuse University Scholars

Ferrell Brenner (WGS/CCE ’17) 2017 Commencement Address Speaker
Hasmik Djoulakian (ETS/WGS/CCE ’17)
Rachel Brown-Weinstock (SOC/PAF/CCE ’17)

Chancellor’s Award for Public Engagement and Scholarship

Michelle Kincaid (IR/PAF/CCE ’18)
Jillian Lynch (PSC/CCE ’17)
Ferrell Brenner (WGS/CCE ’17)
Nedda Sarshar (WRT/PAF/CCE ‘17)

Chancellor’s Award for Research

Rachel Brown-Weinstock (SOC/PAF/CCE ’17)

Syracuse University Senior Class Marshals

Nedda Sarshar (WRT/PAF/CCE ’17)
Rachel Brown-Weinstock (SOC/PAF/CCE ’17)

Syracuse University Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Unsung Heroes Award

Priya Penner (CCE ’20)

Syracuse University Remembrance Scholars

Dina Eldawy (IR/CCE ’19)
Simon Girma (TRF/CCE ’19)
Arva Hassonjee (IR/CCE ’19)
Audra Linsner (ADV/CCE ’19)
Madeline Lorang (GEO/CCE ’18)
Kennedy Patlan (ADV/WGS/CCE ’18)
Rachel Brown-Weinstock (SOC/PAF/CCE ’17)
Nedda Sarshar (WRT/PAF/CCE ’17)
Jessica Faunce (PSC/CCE ’16)
Heather Rounds (MES/CCE ’16)

College of Arts and Sciences/Maxwell School Undergraduate College Marshals

Dina Eldawy (IR/CCE ’19)
Meredith Coccoluto (IR/ECN/CCE ’18)

College of Arts and Sciences Coronat Scholars

Lia Chabot (ECN/CCE ’21)
Miranda Nemeth (IR/CCE ’21)
Catherine Porter (PSC/PAF/CCE ’20)
Emerson Womble (ECN/CCE ’20)
Dina Eldawy (IR/CCE ’19)
Elly Wong (PAF/CCE ’19)
Farrell Brenner (WGS/CCE ’17)
Rachel Brown-Weinstock (SOC/PAF/CCE ‘17)
Hasmik Djoulakian (ETS/WGS/CCE ’17)
Neha Rauf (IR/CCE ’17)

College of Arts and Sciences Deborah A. Coquillon Memorial Award

Sarah Buell (IR/CCE ’18)