Excellence in Leadership

The Outstanding Student Employee award, established in 2025, recognizes a student for their lasting contribution to a school or department’s student employee program.

The Outstanding Student Group Award recognizes exemplary leadership and commitment by a student group to the Washington University community.

The Program with Purpose Award recognizes student groups who are intentional in designing their programs to be co-curricular in nature. Their program(s) had a meaningful learning component for their participants and embodied the truth that learning happens outside of classrooms as well.

The Community Impact Award recognizes student groups for their commitment to service and making an impact within the WashU and St. Louis communities.

The Event of the Year award is intended to celebrate an outstanding event amongst thousands of events student groups produce every year.

The Innovation Award recognizes a program, event, or initiative that introduces a unique or novel approach put forward by a student group. The award is to recognize exceptional creativity, forward thinking, and the ability to transform ideas to impactful solutions.  

The Advisor of the Year Award was new in 2012 and recognizes the outstanding contributions of a faculty or staff member to a student group.

The W. Alfred Hayes Award is presented to outstanding senior athletes who by personal example have provided constructive leadership at Washington University.

The Shepley Outstanding Senior Award is presented to outstanding seniors who have excelled in the areas of leadership, scholarship, and service to the University community over their entire collegiate career. This award acts as the capstone leadership award for a senior who has worked throughout their four years to better the Washington University community (and beyond) and their own leadership skills.

The Farwell Student Leader of the Year, named after Victor H. Farwell, was established in 1994, and is the highest mark of honor in the Excellence in Leadership Awards Ceremony. This award recognizes a junior or senior who has demonstrated exceptional leadership this academic year through self-awareness, collaboration, service, commitment to a cause, and community impact.