The United Student Government (USG) has spearheaded an effort to bring back the Beacon Exemplar Award. The award process and ceremony was last held during the 2017-2018 academic year, according to Kevin McSorley, GSB ’20, vice president of student life. The two-year hiatus was due to scheduling conflicts, as the event requires the USG House Committee to deal with multiple nominations and massive logistics surrounding the event.

“The entire committee was quite disappointed because we see this as the best opportunity to honor the people at Fordham that make a difference,” said Nicholas Abbazio, GSB ’21, vice chair of the House Committee. “So, this year we put the Beacon Exemplar at the head of our agenda.”

The award celebrates the staff members, faculty and employees that have gone above and beyond in inspiring and supporting the students in the Rose Hill community. All undergraduate students are encouraged to nominate a person who will be celebrated at the award ceremony in April, according to the nomination form. 

In the 2017 academic year, USG introduced an amendment to the nomination process. Before the amendment, only members of USG could nominate a faculty member. The nomination process is now open to all undergraduates in the Rose Hill community. This year, the committee has to go through 77 nominations compared to 19 USG senator nominations in the years before the amendment opened the nominations to the community.

“I think that there are so many incredible employees on Fordham’s campus that are often unsung heroes,” said McSorley. “They truly enhance the Fordham experience for the students.  Therefore, I wanted to ensure we brought back a way to honor those employees that make a difference in the student’s lives.”

In the survey that USG put out in the beginning of February, members of the Fordham community are asked to provide one word to describe their nominee, why they chose that word and an additional optional blurb in which the student can say a few words about their nominee. The nomination process has been successful so far, according to Abbazio.

“The response from students has been quite explosive,” said Abbazio. “Thanks to technology and a few posters, we have already had 77 responses on our survey.”

When the survey closes on Saturday, March 14, the House Committee will have to sort through and choose the nominees, as well as plan the Beacon Exemplar Award Ceremony, which will take place on Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m. All nominees will be celebrated, and awards will be presented to the selected nominees from the following departments: Academic Affairs, Faculty, Dining Services, Public Safety, Athletics and Student Affairs.

Students who fill out the form are invited to join the celebration of the staff members, employees and faculty who have impacted their community in a significant way.

“We think it is the single best event for students to voice their appreciation,” said Abbazio. “We love this event and always put our all into it.”

To keep up with updates on the event and the nomination process, follow USG on Instagram or Facebook.  To nominate someone from the Fordham community, fill out this form.