Quest for the Best
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2021 Quest for the Best Awards Presentation
The application for the 2021 year is currently closed. Email [email protected] with any questions.
The measure of a university is more than the sum of its buildings, the size of its
enrollment, its array of degrees, its number of graduates, or its cumulative grade
point average. It is instead the qualities of the people which comprise its community:
students, faculty, and staff. The educational mission is more than certification of
degrees; it is instead a series of quests. It is a quest for knowledge about our present
world, its past, and its possible future. It is an internal quest, to discover and
develop the potential within each person. It is a quest to serve and improve the community
outside the university and to further human understanding and the qualities of leadership.
The “Quest for the Best” awards seek to recognize outstanding student leaders who have typified and promoted the mission of the university. This Vice Presidential Student Service award is given each April to the “best of the best” at SDSU – those students who excel academically and through community and campus involvement. This award recognizes individual excellence in academics, campus involvement, and community service.
The “Quest for the Best” awards are presented at a gala banquet in April. The ceremony is attended by winning students two special guests of each winner, and faculty honorees.
Applicants are evaluated in four areas:
- Academic excellence, including grade point average (a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required), individual research, participation in professional and academic societies, involvement in departmental activities, etc.;
- Student involvement and commitment, including student organizations, student government and college councils, The Daily Aztec, housing, fraternity/sorority life, athletics, honor societies, etc.;
- Community service outside the SDSU campus, including volunteer work with medical, social service, theatrical, artistic, cultural, political entities, etc.;
- Leadership qualities and development, including the degree of involvement and initiative within activities, the furtherance of intercultural understanding, and evidence of the development of positive, ethical decision-making.
Nominations are open to regularly enrolled SDSU students who have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, have completed at least one year at SDSU and at least 75 units of college work. Applications of students on probation of any kind will not be reviewed.
Questions? Email Chelsea Winer, coordinator of the award, at [email protected]
Congratulations to the 2021 Quest for the Best award winners!
Watch the virtual Quest for the Best ceremony
The 2021 honorees:
Madi Balagtas
Senior, Cellular & Molecular Biology with a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Ricardo Zayas
Dylan Corliss
Senior, Philosophy with double minors in Computer Science and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Stacey Sinclair
Margot Ermer
Junior, Communications with a double minor in Women’s Studies and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Brandi Tonne
Ashley Jackson
Senior, Nursing with a double minor in Leadership and Child Development
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Gerilyn Herold
Maxwell Johnson
Senior, double majoring in Political Science and Communications with a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Brandi Tonne
Sophie Levi
Senior, Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences with a minor in Spanish
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Sonja Pruitt-Lord
Cassandra Libang
Senior, Child and Family Development
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Hsing-Chen Tung
Katrina Mogannam
Senior, biochemistry with double minors in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and Leadership
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Manal Swairjo
Rebecca Rodriguez Casillas
Junior, Food and Nutrition with a minor in Social Work
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Jamie Harguess
Chrystian Smith
Senior, double majoring in Political Science and History with a minor in Sociology
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Wesley Palau
Past Winners
The 2020 honorees:
Tia Abusham
(pronouns she, her, hers)
Senior, Double majoring in biology and philosophy
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Omar Baza, Student Life & Leadership
Dustin Adkins
(pronouns: he, him, his)
Senior, Sociology and Economics with an emphasis in Public Policy
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Andrea Dooley, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
Christian Holt
(pronouns: he, him, his)
Senior, Kinesiology with an emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Anwar Cruter, Residential Education Office
Talia Kieu
(pronouns: she, her, hers)
Senior, Public Health, minors in Women’s Studies and LGBTQ+ Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Jerel Calzo, School of Public Health
Brandon Lim
(pronouns: he, him, his)
Senior, Psychology & Journalism with an emphasis in Media Studies, minor in Sociology
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Kimberly Nishi, Counseling & Psychological Services
Julia Moluf
(pronouns: she, her, hers)
Senior, Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, minor in Psychology of Personality
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Sonja Pruitt-Lord, College of Health and Human Services
Gabriella Medina
(pronouns: she, her, hers)
Junior, Sustainability, minor in Political Science
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Lori Stewart, Religious Studies
Naomi Moore
(pronouns: she, her, hers)
Senior, International Security and Conflict Resolution
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Cheryl O’Brien, Political Science
Citlayi Villaseñor
(pronouns: she, her, hers)
Senior, Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, minors in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and Cellular & Molecular Biology
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Thelma Chavez, College of Sciences
Maria Voss
(pronouns: she. her, hers)
Junior, International Security and Conflict Resolution with an Emphasis in Environment and Security, minor in Arabic and Islamic Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree – Dr. Cheryl O’Brien, Political Science
Richard Amaechi (pronouns: he/him/his)
Junior, International Business with an emphasis in Japanese and Finance, minors in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and Cultural Proficiency
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Dr. Sandra Cook, Enrollment Services
Annika Bilog (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Senior, Nursing, minor in Leadership Development
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Gerilyn Herold, School of Nursing
Arturo Fernandez Rios (pronouns: he/him/his)
Senior, Business Administration
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Dr. Michelle Dean, Management
Daniela Garcia (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Senior, Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Mathematics
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Miguel Rahiotis, Imperial Valley Campus
Aubie Jones (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Senior, Kinesiology with an emphasis in Physical Therapy, minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Gwendolyn Hill, Health Professions Advising Office
Liana Marin (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Junior, Industrial Organizational Psychology, minors in Leadership Development and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Chelsea Winer, Student Life & Leadership
Morgan Newport (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Senior, International Security and Conflict Resolution with an emphasis in Environment and Security
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Dr. Cheryl O'Brien, Political Science
Tomi Osinfolarin (pronouns: he/him/his)
Senior, Kinesiology with an emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy, minor in Cultural Proficiency
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Dr. Estralita Martin, College of Sciences
Latrel Powell (pronouns: he/him/his)
Senior, Political Science and Africana Studies, minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Dr. Martha Encisco, Weber Honors College
Renata Valente (pronouns: she/her/hers)
Senior, Economics with a specialization in Quantitative Analysis, minors in Sociology and Leadership Development
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Dr. Lisa Gates, College of Education
