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Campus & Community

WellsLink Hosts 17th Annual Transitions Ceremony; Welcomes Annette Gordon-Reed as Keynote

Wednesday, October 28, 2020, By News Staff
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BIPOC Student Success Programs and Services

On Friday, Nov. 6, at 4 p.m. (ET), the campus community is invited to the 17th annual WellsLink Transitions Ceremony, honoring the successful transition of WellsLink Scholars into their second year at Syracuse University. Registration is required for this first-ever virtual ceremony.

The nationally-recognized WellsLink Leadership Program, sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, supports first-year students on their journey to academic excellence and leadership. Through the program, WellsLink Scholars develop the leadership skills necessary to flourish at Syracuse University and beyond, and the Transitions Ceremony celebrates their achievements.

“The Transitions Ceremony is an important milestone in the academic and professional careers of our scholars,” says Huey Hsiao, associate director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs. “Now more than ever, we hope that this ceremony further unites the campus community in the celebration of their achievements and serves as a time to look forward to what these young leaders will accomplish.”

Annette Gordon-Reed portrait

Annette Gordon-Reed

This year’s keynote speaker is esteemed Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Harvard University professor, Annette Gordon-Reed. Gordon-Reed is a professor of history in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, and the Charles Warren Professor of American Legal History at Harvard Law School. Additionally, Gordon-Reed is the author of six books, including The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, which won the Pulitzer Prize in history and the National Book Award for nonfiction and fourteen other awards. It explores the inconsistencies of Jefferson’s stance on slavery and his relationship with enslaved woman Sally Hemings, and has been called “the best study of a slave family ever written” by noted Jefferson scholar Joseph Ellis. Gordon-Reed is also the recipient of the National Humanities Medal (presented by former President Barack Obama), a Guggenheim Fellowship, a MacArthur Fellowship and was recently elected a member of the American Philosophical Society, among other honors. Following the ceremony and Annette’s remarks, there will be time for Q&A.

The WellsLink Leadership Program Class of 2023

  • Tsion Abebaw ’23 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
  • Skye Alexander ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Soleil Andrews ’23 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
  • Nabeeha Anwar ’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
  • Sara Augustin ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences/School of Education)
  • Allan Baek ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Simone Bellot ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Keara Blanton ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Elijah Brown ’23 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
  • Ashley Bruce ’23 (Whitman School of Management)
  • Tysean Canada ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Raul Chakraborty ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Amit Chandramouly ’23 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
  • Sabrina Chow ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Season Chowdhury ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Lindsey Coby ’23 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
  • Colin Crawford ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Bisakh Das ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Ibrahima Diallo ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Nariya Douglas ’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
  • Atallia Elliston ’23 (Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
  • Muriel Fayemi ’23 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
  • Emma Fenton ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Daniella French ’23 (Whitman School of Management/S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
  • Joel Gilgeous ’23 (Whitman School of Management)
  • Briana Gilyard ’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
  • Nikita Goswami ’24 (School of Architecture)
  • Clark Gray ’23 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
  • Alyssa Griffin ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Olivia Henderson ’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)
  • Jordana Hernandez ’23 (School of Education)
  • Dianna Higaki ’23 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
  • Kevin Hughes II ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences/S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
  • Joshua Hull ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Rachel Jang ’23 (Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
  • Brittnee Jean ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Clarke Johnson ’23 (Whitman School of Management)
  • Nyah Jones ’23 (Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
  • Assul Larancuent ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Matthew Leight ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Xinyan Lin ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Kym Mcgowan ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Briseyda Mendoza-Aguayo ’23 (Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
  • Allia Mitchell ’23 (Whitman School of Management/S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
  • Nadia Nelson ’23 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
  • Kayla Nieto ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Ifeoluwa Ojo ’23 (Whitman School of Management)
  • Hiba Ouldsahraouia ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Rita Ouldsahraouia ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Jeremiah Parrott ’23 (Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
  • Christelle Pompee ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Fabian Ponce De Leon ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Tessa Pulgar ’23 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
  • Kazi Rafee ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Bryan Reynoso ’23 (Whitman School of Management)
  • Kirsten Riley ’23 (Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs)
  • Rikeh Saingbe ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Michelle Schinaia ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Connor Schultz ’23 (Whitman School of Management)
  • Ty’Kiau Seay ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Michelle Shanguhyia ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Dominique Sheldon ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Brandon Silvas ’23 (Whitman School of Management)
  • Claudio Sobejano ’23 (Whitman School of Management)
  • Jason Tan ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Ashley Torres ’23 (School of Information Studies/Whitman School of Management)
  • Onyedikachi Umeh ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Joel Veras ’23 (College of Engineering and Computer Science)
  • Anya Wijeweera ‘23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Liana Wong-Wright ‘23 (Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics)
  • Donna-Nicole Zaiens ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Jonathan Zhang ’23 (S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications)
  • Reiko Zhang ’23 (College of Arts and Sciences)
  • Matthew Zoll ’23 (College of Visual and Performing Arts)

About The WellsLink Leadership Program

The WellsLink Leadership Program is a nationally recognized academic and leadership excellence program for first-year students. Through structured academic, social and cultural enrichment activities, WellsLink Scholars develop the leadership capital necessary for exceptional success at Syracuse University and beyond. The program name was chosen to honor Barry L. Wells, founding director of Syracuse University’s first Office of Minority Affairs in 1976 and former senior vice president and dean of student affairs.

The WellsLink Leadership Program is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs in the Division of Enrollment and the Student Experience, and was designed by Director James K. Duah-Agyeman and former Associate Director Paul M. Buckley. Since the program’s inception in 2003, WellsLink Scholars have demonstrated outstanding leadership at the University with representation at the executive levels of many student organizations, task forces, committees and networks of service. They are high academic performers and balanced community citizens.

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