Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award is an award presented to graduating seniors, alumni, and community members of selected colleges and universities in the Southern United States for excellence of character and service to humanity.  At Elon, two graduating seniors and one faculty or staff member are recognized annually for their honesty, morality, ethics, integrity, responsibility, determination, courage, and compassion.

Presented by Jon Dooley, Vice President for Student Life and Associate Professor of Education

Transcript of Commendations

Jon Dooley, Vice President for Student Life and Associate Professor of Education

Each year the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award is presented to two students and one faculty or staff member.  Sponsored by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, these awards recognize college students across the country who put service of others before self-interest. We celebrate individuals here at Elon who demonstrate the highest standards of character, integrity, and leadership in service to others and the community.

One of our recipients this year is Jubitza Figueroa, a senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, majoring in Political Science.  She has been a significant presence at Elon from her earliest days and knows how to simultaneously create a welcome space to draw students in while also challenging those around her to become better versions of themselves.

Jubitza is an Odyssey Scholar who has also served as a student assistant in the Gender and LGBTQIA Center.  She has been a passionate advocate for advancing training and education in the Elon Community, serving as a featured speaker for the “I Am Elon” sessions during New Student Orientation, and presenting ally training for members of the campus community – including calling up President Book and leading her through the training.

Jubitza has a way of connecting with lots of different student communities across the campus – from club rugby to the ballroom club, to Latinx organizations and community groups.  She was the recipient of the LGBTQIA breakout student of the year in 2019 and created the Elon Pride outdoor event, in alignment with Alamance Pride, using her signature catchphrase – Elon Pride: Bringing Pride to the People.

One of Jubitza’s nominators described her as someone “with a heart full of compassion and a yearning for social justice,” noting that she is “capable of connecting unlikely allies through steadfast leadership and a sense of shared responsibility where people across multiple identities work towards achieving a more caring, thoughtful, and intentionally just campus and society.”

It is with great pleasure I award the 2021 Algernon Sydney Sullivan award to Jubitza Figueroa.