The Graduate College is delighted to announce the winners of the 2025 Graduate Student Leadership Award: Breana Griffin and Priscilla Ahearn. The award recognizes graduate students who have exhibited outstanding service that positively impacts the campus and wider communities.
Breana Griffin, doctoral student in Psychology, works to build the representation and support she and others need while learning to live with chronic illness. Breana created the Network for Chronically-Ill and Disabled Academics and Professionals (NCDAP) to foster community and support among disabled peers, secured a grant to aid these efforts, and started a podcast, “Chronically Curious,” to celebrate the stories and achievements of this community.
Priscilla Ahearn, a master’s student in Social Work, utilizes reading and storytelling to engage communities. She created spaces where individuals of various identities can share their experiences to support each other and develop skills to support their own emotional well-being. Her work includes involvement with the Read for Impact initiative as well as leading LGBTQIA+ teen support groups and social-emotional learning sessions in local communities.
In addition to the winners, two students received Special Recognition in Graduate Student Leadership.
Elizabeth Coder, a doctoral student in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership, worked to create sustainable volunteer systems with Books to Prisoners to improve the process and delivery of donated materials to incarcerated individuals. She has also been involved with the U of I community by serving on various committees and establishing the EPOL Graduate Student Association to address student isolation during COVID-19.
Megan Best, a doctoral student in Special Education, spearheaded initiatives to promote campus-wide discussions on the inclusion and accessibility of students and individuals with disabilities. The objective was to inform future practices on campus and to foster community-based relationships aimed at better serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Begun in 2015, the Graduate Student Leadership Award is sponsored by The Graduate College and its student advisory group, SAGE (Students Advising on Graduate Education).
For more information about the Graduate Student Leadership Award or previous recipients, visit our website.