Something shifted for Chery Abdelmassih ‘26 during her sophomore year – not a sudden easing of coursework, not a lighter schedule and not an end to the high expectations that come with a Cornell education. If anything, the pace and pressure intensified. But for the first time, she stopped trying to carry it alone.

“It wasn't just a place where I was getting advice, but it was a place where I could actually exhale,” said Abdelmassih, referring to the Office of Academic Discovery and Impact (OADI), which held its 10th annual Honors Award Ceremony on May 1 in the Statler Ballroom. “It was a place where I could be honest about struggling without feeling ashamed. It was a place where people didn’t just ask me, ‘What are you doing next?’ but also, ‘How are you doing right now?’”

Credit: Provided

Abdelmassih’s reflection set the tone for the evening, as OADI celebrated a milestone year of honoring outstanding achievement, leadership and advocacy. Serving as a hub for academic and professional development resources for students across all undergraduate colleges and schools, OADI works to give students the tools and the community needed to thrive. The ceremony brought together students, faculty, staff and campus partners to recognize scholar-leaders and the community that supports their success.

That sense of connection carried through the program, including keynote remarks from fellow student speakers – Shaunjae Suarez ‘26, Roxana Mora ‘26 and Colin Makoto Craig ‘26 – whose stories underscored the importance of mentorship, resilience and belonging in shaping their Cornell experience.

For Suarez ’26, that sense of support was clear from the very beginning. Speaking at the ceremony, he recalled the moment he was late for his first interview as a prospective McNair Scholar – a turn of events that might have closed doors elsewhere. 

“What other space would allow you to fail like that and still give you grace?” Suarez said. “While the experience was amazing, it was actually the space here on campus that did more for me. Because it wasn’t just the work that I did that mattered here, but it was also the trials. It was the failures that mattered too. Those were celebrated.”

Mora recalls relying on the EOP and HEOP community to build the confidence she needed to feel at home. 

“They allowed me to see that confidence can be borrowed from others who believe in you until you learn to believe in yourself. And I see how perseverance is about being fearless. It’s about moving forward even when fear is present,” she said.  

For Craig, who served as a hydraulic technician in the U.S. Air Force before arriving at Cornell, that journey was shaped by learning to trust his own voice. 

“I was always reluctant to give my opinion,” Craig said. “Maybe it’s because of my conditioning, but I kept coming up with reasons not to share – reasons like, I’m not articulate enough, or my opinion can be refuted so easily – and those and similar reasons kept me from contributing to important conversations for a long time. I know I’m really late to the party, but I understand now that it’s really important to speak up and that speaking up doesn’t have to be perfect.”

Throughout the evening, speakers returned to a shared theme: how community can lighten even the most challenging moments and remind students they are not alone. 

That idea came into full focus in one of the ceremony’s final moments, as the program honored an alumna whose work has helped shape and sustain that sense of community for generations of students. As Catherine Thompson ’83, director of the Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars Program, was recognized for more than four decades of service and leadership across multiple roles, the ballroom rose in a standing ovation.

            Award winners: 

• Charles Kruzansky, associate vice president for government relations, and Zoe Nelson, director of state relations: Tomás Bautista Mapúa Award, Outstanding OADI Staff Partner;
• Monica Cornejo, assistant professor in the Department of Communication, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Ronald E. McNair Award, Outstanding McNair Faculty Mentor; 
• John Starr, doctoral student: Toni Morrison Award, Outstanding Graduate Mentorship;
• National Society of Black Engineers: Club Brasileiro Award, Outstanding Organization;
• Colin Makoto Craig ‘26: Lt. Caroline Sanford Finley Award, Outstanding Undergraduate Student Veteran;
• Maritza Reyes ‘27, Gloria Joseph Award, Opportunity Programs Students;
• Abra Geiger ‘26: Soloman Cook Award, Engaged Research and Scholarship;
• Allie Pequeno ‘27: George Washington Fields Award, Professional Development;
• Lin Kuang ‘29: Marvin Jack Award, OADI Emerging Scholar-Leader;
• Mary Bellakbira ‘26: Jerome Holland Award, Outstanding OADI Scholar Leader; and
• Catherine Thompson, director of the Pre-Collegiate Summer Scholars Program: Ryokichi Yatabe Award, Outstanding OADI Alumni Partner.

Grace DePaull is communications assistant in the Department of Inclusion and Belonging in the Division of Human Resources.