Senior Awards

The Stanford Alumni Association is pleased to give out the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award, and the Award of Excellence annually to outstanding graduating seniors.

You may nominate students here.

Questions? Contact studentprograms@alumni.stanford.edu.

J.E. Wallace Sterling Award

Each spring, the Stanford Alumni Association invites faculty and staff to nominate a graduating senior for the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award. It is named for J.E. Wallace Sterling, who served as Stanford’s president from 1949 to 1968 and as chancellor until 1985.

The award recognizes a senior whose undergraduate leadership and volunteer activities have made the largest impact on the Stanford community. Service might include involvement in athletics, clubs, drama and musical productions, fundraising, journalism, public service, religious organizations, residential education, social and political organizations, student government or university committees.

Criteria for Selection
The selection committee for the Sterling Award considers the following criteria in evaluating each candidate:
- Leadership and depth of the candidate’s chosen activities
- Commitment and goodwill demonstrated toward the university
- Degree of sustained dedication to volunteerism
- Impact and legacy resulting from the candidate’s involvements
- Potential for a candidate’s future role as a Stanford volunteer and advocate
The recipient will be selected from nominations sent in by faculty, resident fellows and resident assistants, deans and department heads, and other university administrators. The final selection will be made by a committee appointed by the Stanford Alumni Association.
Past Winners

The selection committee for the Sterling Award considers the following criteria in evaluating each candidate:

2017 Lauren “LoMo” Phillips
2016 Robert Chun
2015 Daniel Levy Knapp
2014 Hunter Kodama &
Chiney Ogwumike
2013 Morgan Duffy
2012 Jack Trotter
2011 Angelina Cardona
2010 Christopher Khavarian
2009 Patrick Cordova
2008 Jonathan Jourdane
2007 Feranmi Okanlami
2006 Krista Rappahahn
2005 JT Batson
2004 Nadiya Figueroa
2003 Scott Cannon
2002 Sohini Ramachandran
2001 Melia Villegas
2000 Megan Tompkins
1999 Mike Martinez & Maren Norton
1998 Bill Shen

1997 Paul Joseph Kim
1996 Lan Thanh Phan
1995 Marianna "Muffy" Davis
1994 Roopal Anil Mehta
1993 Julius R. Paras
1992 Monica Moran Gonzalez
1991 Cory Anthony Booker & Steven James Kafka
1990 Suzanna Mak
1989 Amira Karin Leifer
1988 Fidelia Yuan-Shin Butt
1987 Monica Marie Lytle & Pedro Pablo Morales
1986 Elizabeth Marie Butler
1985 Sarah von der Lippe
1984 Peter George Spivack
1983 Megan Ann Chesnut
1982 Mariann Byerwalter
1981 Mark Lee Breier
1980 Peter Stamos
1979 Vincent Mulroy

Outstanding Achievement Award

The Stanford Alumni Association recognizes the top two to three seniors who have made a significant impact on the campus community and whose undergraduate activities demonstrate the strong potential for continued service to the university and the alumni community. Award recipients were finalists for the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award. Service might include involvement in athletics, clubs, drama and musical productions, fundraising, journalism, public service, religious organizations, residential education, social and political organizations, student government or university committees. The Outstanding Achievement Award was initiated in 2011.

Criteria for Selection
The selection committee for the Outstanding Achievement Award considers the following criteria in evaluating each candidate:
- Leadership and depth of the candidate’s chosen activities
- Commitment and goodwill demonstrated toward the university
- Degree of sustained dedication to volunteerism
- Impact and legacy resulting from the candidate’s involvements
- Potential for a candidate’s future role as a Stanford volunteer and advocate
The final selection will be made by a committee appointed by the Stanford Alumni Association.
Past Winners

2017 Lily Zheng & Taylor Streaty
2016 Sarah Sadlier & Marisa Messina
2015 Zachary Ellison & Jordan Richards
2014 Kaela Farrise
2013 Ashley Lyle, Aracely Mondragon & Stephen Trusheim
2012 Michael Tubbs & Tenzin Seldonm
2011 Sarah Flynn & Pamon Forouhar

Award of Excellence

The Stanford Alumni Association honors graduating seniors who have demonstrated a sincere commitment to the university through involvement, leadership and extraordinary Stanford spirit with the Stanford Award of Excellence.

This award is designed to recognize the top 10% of the class with this honor. Service might include involvement in athletics, clubs, drama and musical productions, fundraising, journalism, public service, religious organizations, residential education, social and political organizations, student government or university committees.

Criteria for Selection
- All members of the senior graduating class are eligible.
- Nominations will be accepted from faculty and staff.
- A maximum of 10% of the graduating class will be recognized for this award.