Elashia Rosado-Cartagena
The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Letters and Science Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Climate (EDIC) committee has named three students as the winners of the inaugural I-RISE Awards.
Elashia Rosado-Cartagena, a junior anthropology major from Racine; Peyton Sherry, a senior communication studies major from Viola; and Jihae Choi, a sophomore international business major from Menasha studying on the Fox Cities campus, are recognized for the month of April.
The monthly I-RISE Awards—named for resilience, inspiration, strength and excellence—applaud UW Oshkosh students who have demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity, yet continue to advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion on the Oshkosh, Fond du Lac and Fox Cities campuses.
Rosado-Cartagena serves as a student leader and advocate for BIPOC issues at UWO. She co-founded the UWO Latinx/Hispanos Unidos student organization and has organized programming for the Inter-Tribal Student Council.
Peyton Sherry
As a member and advocate of the LGBTQIA+ community, Sherry promotes diversity and inclusion across campus. He encourages empathetic communication to combat hatred and challenges others to be more understanding of various beliefs.
Choi is an international student and active member of the Fox Cities campus’ student government. She listens to the concerns and opinions of the international student community and works to address mental health, xenophobia and public health issues on campus.
“We are excited to offer a platform that recognizes student achievement pertaining to equity, diversity and inclusion issues on campus,” said Kimberly Kelling, an assistant journalism professor and EDIC committee member. “We could not be more pleased with the amazing response we had to the first call for nominations. Choosing only three recipients for the month of April was quite a challenge, as many of the students nominated demonstrated the values and perseverance necessary to be considered for the I-RISE Award.”
Jihae Choi
The award winners are selected monthly and are given a personal message from associate vice chancellor for inclusive excellence and chief diversity officer Damira Grady, a written profile from EDIC and a T-shirt from University Books & More.
If you know a student who has overcome adversity and continues to advocate for a more equitable and inclusive campus environment, nominations are now being accepted for the I-RISE Award in May. Nominations can be submitted here and are due by 5 p.m. April 30. Users are asked to use their UWO email address when completing the form.
Learn more: