Leadership Awards

Each year, the Department of Student Life hosts the annual Leadership & Club Awards Gala. The awards ceremony is held in the spring semester, and aims to recognize student leaders who exemplify scholarship, service, and leadership. Students recognized at the Student 2025 Leadership Awards Gala are the very best of our involvement community, they enhance FIT by selflessly giving back their time and energy in order to create a better campus community.

The Awards Committee will accept nominations from students, staff, and faculty. In addition to the application, all awards require the nominee's resume and a letter of recommendation (unless otherwise stated in the awards description). All awards, including Club Awards, will be presented at the 2025 Leadership Awards Gala, Monday, April 21, 2025.

Nominate a student or yourself!

Nominations and Criteria:

A strong nomination will include tangible examples of how this student has shown compassion and dedication to their fellow students. Strong nominators will share relevant information about the impact this student has had on the college, their peers, and the FIT campus community as a whole.
All nominees must be good academic and judicial standing with a current cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or greater will be considered.
Must be a candidate to graduate from any major as a candidate for an Associate, Baccalaureate or Master's Degree in May of 2024.
The degree seeking student must acquire one letter of recommendation depending on the award.

FIT Student Government Association - Amy Locicero Extracurricular Service Award (AAS)

This award is presented to a graduating Associates Degree seeking student who has shown significant school spirit and pride for FIT.

Examples of these acts can include but are not limited to

Student Leadership Participation
Creation/Execution of student based initiatives
Creation/Execution of collegiate recognition initiatives that capture the essence and spirit of FIT and/or FIT students.

The recipient of this award will receive a one-time $1500 award via check or towards tuition.

Students must be nominated by an advisor, faculty, staff, or administrator. Nominators must include a letter of support.
Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Nominees must be a graduating Associates degree seeking student

FIT Student Government Association - Marion K. Brandiss Extracurricular Service Award (BA)

This award is presented to a graduating Bachelor's Degree seeking student who has shown significant school spirit and pride for FIT. The Marion Brandis Extracurricular Award Service Award recognizes outstanding leadership, and the ability to influence others to advance the mission of the college. The recipient of this award has shown compassion and dedication to their fellow students. This student has also made an impact on the student experience, their peers, and the campus community as a whole.

The recipient of this award will receive a one-time $1500 award via check or towards tuition.

Students must be nominated by an advisor, faculty, staff, or administrator. Nominators must include a letter of support.
Self-nominations will not be accepted.
Nominees must be a graduating Bachelor's degree seeking student

Michael A. Noeth Service Award

This award is presented to a graduating student who, through selfless commitment to the FIT Community, demonstrates outstanding leadership, service and creativity. Named in honor of Draftsman Second Class, Michael A. Noeth of the United States Navy and an Alumni of FIT ('94) who died in the line of duty on September 11, 2001 at the Pentagon. Noeth was known for his creative spirit and commitment to serving others in the community.

There was no question, however, his loyalty and dedication was to every shipmate with whom he served. It was his aim to “paint sailors as they really are – aboard ship, at work and at ease – to convey an honest view of the great effort, training, expertise and a very serious sense of responsibility a whole lot of very young guys devote to assuring the lo and freedom of our country.”

Students can be nominated by peers, faculty, staff, administrators, advisors, or self. Nominators must include a letter of support.
Recipient must be a graduating student (Associates or Bachelors Degree)

Sylvia Galvarin Rising Star Award*

Sylvia Galvarin was a former faculty and mentor at FIT. She was known for cultivating potential in students and recognizing students' abilities often before they realized them within themselves.

This award is given to a student who demonstrates a commitment to the holistic student experience at FIT and has the potential to build a legacy on campus. This award is designed to recognize a student who may not be as heavily involved in student activities but nonetheless leaves an impact and is a rising star in our eyes.

Nominees should be at FIT less than 2 consecutive years.
Students can be nominated by peers, faculty, staff, advisors, or self. Nominators must include a letter of support.

Breakthrough Award/Evolution Award

The Breakthrough Award/Evolution Award is awarded to a student who has demonstrated significant growth in their development, leadership and/or participation in a student led campus group.

This award does not accept self-nominations. Nominators must write a statement demonstrating the student's evolution of growth in any of the following categories: self-discovery, leadership development, academic achievement or emotional intelligence. Nominators should show how a student has grown and/or changed over their time at FIT.

Students must be nominated by an advisor/administrator/faculty/staff member.
Self-nominations will not be accepted.

Trailblazer Award

The recipient of the Trailblazer Award is a student who has made indelible changes within the FIT campus by way of policy creation, campus wide initiatives, student voice recognition, etc. This student has made significant, unique visionary efforts, desires to have a profound impact in their virtual campus community or their community, and in doing so blazes a trail for others to follow.

This student has exemplified the qualities of leadership that makes waves and doesn’t apologize for it. This student is focused on making the campus and community at large a better place, with more awareness and empathy towards the humans who occupy it.

Students can self nominate but must include a letter of support from a faculty/staff member in the FIT community that speaks to their accomplishments.
Students can be nominated by an advisor/faculty/staff member.

Perseverance Award

The Perseverance Award is awarded to a student or group of students who were able to overcome the odds of their present challenges and seized the opportunity to pivot and create innovative ways to reach their community and create positive change. The award is given to a deserving member of the student community who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination

Students can be nominated by peers, faculty, staff, advisors, administrator or self.
Must be able to provide examples of progression grit, determination and evidence of change.

Erika Rohrbach Advocacy Award

The Erika Rohrbach Advocacy Award is awarded to an international student who exemplifies a deep and profound dedication to being a champion for their fellow students and the FIT student community at large.

Erika – or simply "E", was lauded for her fierce dedication to FIT students and her tireless drive to tailor whatever assistance each might need, with one student from Nepal observing, “she truly cares for each and every one....”

This student has gone above and beyond to stand up for, advocate and bring awareness to a student group, purpose, initiative or need that promotes change, improvement, awareness and overall betterment for the FIT student community.

Students can self nominate but must include a letter of recommendation from a faculty/staff member in the FIT community that speaks to the students advocacy.
Students can be nominated by an advisor/faculty/administrator/staff member.
Must be an international student to be considered for this award.

Peter Vogel Gold Leadership Keys**

The Student Senate nominates this award to ten graduating (Associates or Bachelors Degree) students who have exhibited leadership qualities within the FIT Community. The recipient of this award has demonstrated significant progress towards achieving their leadership potential through campus and community involvement. This award does not require a letter of recommendation.

Peter Vogel Silver Leadership Keys**

The Student Senate nominates this award to five non-graduating students who have exhibited leadership qualities within the FIT Community. The recipient of this award has demonstrated significant progress towards achieving their leadership potential through campus and community involvement. This award does not require a letter of recommendation.

Max Meyer Memorial Award**

Named in honor of Max Meyer, Co-founder of FIT, this award is given to a student who has demonstrated outstanding involvement with campus life and clubs who, through service, has exemplified a commitment to enhancement of the FIT Community. The Student Senate presents this award to a graduating student who has exhibited leadership qualities within the FIT Community.

The recipient of this award has demonstrated significant progress towards achieving their leadership potential through campus and community involvement. A plaque displaying names of past winners are displayed on the seventh floor of the David Dubinsky Student Center. The nominee with the most votes for the Peter Vogel "Gold" Leadership Key wins this award. This is a one-time award. This award does not require a letter of recommendation.

**Voted on at a Student Senate and Club Collective Meetings**