Rachel A. Cifarelli

Hello, my name is Tommy Kopetskie and I am the faculty advisor of Phi Psi Cli, Elon University’s uniquely named yearbook.

It is my honor to present this year’s ODK Student Media Award to this year’s recipient, Rachel Cifarelli, a senior here on the yearbook staff.

In my nomination letter, I wrote that I was compelled to nominate Rachel because she has gone above and beyond this year – and I am so glad that she was selected from this year’s nominees.

In the past year, Rachel has brought life and imagination to the yearbook, and a sense of creativity. More than that, she has been a leader. She has shown our staff, which is very young, mostly first-year students and sophomores, what it means to be a leader, to be mature and to take on responsibilities.

She isn’t afraid to ask a lot of our faculty, staff and students, and I love that. She is willing to put herself out there, and to make sure people are held accountable when they make a commitment – and that goes a long way. Yet, she isn’t abrasive in her methods. She is friendly. She listens. She wants to get to know others. And she is a great people person. A friend to many, and a great mentor, especially to this year’s editor-in-chief, Kathryn Williams.

When I asked Kathryn for a few words to share with you about why Rachel should receive this award, Kathryn said, “Of course, I’ll do that. She is more than well deserving.” And I’m going to read a few lines of what Kathryn shared with me on behalf of Rachel.

Kathryn noted that “Rachel has brought creativity, diligence, and warmth to the staff, while constantly coming up with new ideas to make the book better. She is always there to answer questions or listen if someone needs help or assistance. Rachel’s outstanding in every way, but more than that she is a vital part of the staff.”

The year’s yearbook theme is silver linings, and I will say, “Thank you so much, Rachel, for being a shining light for this year’s staff. You are truly deserving of this award.”