A UCLA student program was one of two selected from across the UC system to receive the University of California President’s Award for Outstanding Student Leadership today at the Board of Regents’ meeting in Sacramento.
The 7,000 in Solidarity Campaign, a UCLA student-led effort launched last year by undergraduate Savannah Badalich, was recognized by UC President Janet Napolitano for creating a campus culture where sexual assault is not tolerated.
“These students have worked to do so through educating members of the UCLA community, expanding support resources for survivors of sexual assault and through partnerships with other student organizations on campus,” said Napolitano after Chancellor Gene Block escorted Badalich to the speaker’s podium. “It is a testament to the power of their efforts that colleges and universities across the country — and indeed across our system — have adopted the campaign.”
Nominated by Chancellor Block for the award, the campaign educates students and administrators about consensual sex, effective bystander intervention, institutional accountability and access to support for survivors of sexual assault. Badalich assists student leaders from across the country in creating similar organizations on their campuses.
Because of its growing national reputation, the sexual assault prevention organization, Force, named 7000 in Solidarity the largest and most prominent sexual assault campaign on any college campus. The organization has been featured by such web publications as the Huffington Post and ThinkProgress.
Badalich’s organization was also identified as a model that other Pac-12 campuses could follow at the inaugural Pac-12 Student Leadership Conference held last January at the University of Utah. All 12 universities adopted an initiative to work collectively on sexual assault prevention on each of their campuses.
In addition to partnering with other organizations, the campaign has used art exhibits to get its message across, held training sessions and issued pledge cards to gather support among students and community members.
At the regents’ meeting, Badalich, who holds an elected student government position as UCLA’s undergraduate student wellness commissioner, thanked survivors of sexual assault for coming forward, supporters for their help and the UCLA administration and the UCLA police for listening to survivors and their recommendations. “Working with you is amazing,” she said.
In support of the cause, UCLA recently produced a video and a series of on-screen messages urging survivors of sexual assault to seek help, take a stand and realize that such crimes impact the entire campus community.
Badalich said she hoped that support for sexual assault survivors becomes “a long-term initiative,” and not just a cause for the moment because of the national attention the issue has drawn.
Also honored was UC Davis undergraduate Axana Rodriguez-Torres, a Colombian immigrant majoring in psychology, and neurobiology, physiology and behavior. She coordinated the UC Davis Pre-Medical and Pre-Health Professional National Conference, the largest such conference in the nation. Her outreach efforts resulted in an annual conference attended by 7,500 people; more than 80 percent of the participants were high school, community college and UC students who are underrepresented in the field of medicine.
Rodriguez-Torres also developed a prevention-focused, Spanish-language diabetes education program now being offered at free clinics, churches and community centers across Sacramento, and secured a $10,000 foundation grant to make the program available online.
Before going to UC Davis, she completed three years of medical school in Colombia and then obtained political asylum in the United States, where she cleaned houses, served fast food and provided child care while she learned English. Because her medical school credits from Colombia were not transferable, she enrolled at American River Community College before transferring to UC Davis. Her next goal is an M.D.-Ph.D. program.
“The work of these bright students has a tremendous impact not only on their home campuses but across the UC system and out in their communities,” said Napolitano. “I’m pleased to have a chance to recognize their efforts and dedication to tackling tough issues that affect us all.”
Established in 2010, the award recognizes undergraduate, graduate and professional students, as well as campus-based student organizations, for outstanding efforts in promoting and supporting multi-campus initiatives.
Nominations for this year’s awards were solicited from the chancellors at all 10 UC campuses and from the UC Student Association. Individual award recipients receive a $2,000 grant while organizations each receive $2,500.
