University Housing Recognizes 2025 Spirit of the Village Awardees

The late Kay Yow, NC State’s legendary former women’s basketball coach whose multiple-decade battle with breast cancer continues to inspire future generations, coined the term “Village” during her legendary Wolfpack career. 

Each year, University Housing honors Yow with the Spirit of the Village Award, given to student participants in the various Living and Learning Village communities who embody the true spirit of the village and exemplifies the characteristics, ideals and qualities of that community.

This year’s student awardees were honored in a ceremony on Friday, April 4. Additionally, campus partners (faculty, staff, and campus units) were recognized for their support and collaborative efforts with living and learning villages.

Student recipients are selected by each individual village based on the following criteria. 

• Is visible and engaged in the Village experience
• Has displayed leadership qualities in the community
• Actively seeks to give back to the community through service and recruitment events
• Encourages inclusion by making others feel welcomed and part of the community
• Best embodies the purpose and mission of the village.

“It takes a village to elevate voices and provide meaningful experiences,” said Impact Leadership Village Program Director Melanie Mitchell. “The Spirit of the Village Awards Celebration provided an opportunity for those voices and experiences to be heard, honored and celebrated.”

2025 Spirit of the Village Student Recipients:

Albright Entrepreneurship Village: Meadow Pacheco

Arts Village: Mae Reilly Mueller

Black Male Initiative: Elijah Allen

Eco Village: Ollie Alexander

Engineering Village: Aimee Garcia-Bouchot

Engineering Expansion Village: Mya Gatzke

Exploratory Studies Village: G Baudhuin

Global Village and Native Space: Mason Tanner

Honors Village: Kylie Masser

Impact Leadership Village: Morgan Thorpe

Students Advocating Youth Village: Gabriel Castillo Calderon

Transfer Connection Village: Erik De Jesus

Wellness Village: Daniel Arellano

Women in Science and Engineering: Anna Garrett

Women of Welch: Sarah Durham 

Campus Partners are recognized for helping villages realize their mission through the support of the living and learning experience. Campus partners help create a safe space in the community where students can realize their full potential. Awards are broken down into three categories: faculty, staff and campus units.

Faculty identified as embodying the “Spirit of the Village” are those who:

• Through formal or informal interactions, frequently engage with students in the village 
• Serve as a dynamic and engaging instructor or faculty for a linked village course incorporating innovative pedagogy that helps to realize the Village mission and student learning outcomes
• Facilitate innovative programs, experiential learning opportunities or help to curate a village trip experience
• Actively promote the village experience in recognition of its impact on student success

Staff identified as embodying the “Spirit of the Village” are those who:

• Facilitate innovative programs or experiential learning opportunities in support of Village mission, student learning outcomes, and residence education model
• Frequently engage with students in the village to build relationships and cultivate a holistic living and learning experience
• Champion the purpose and mission of the Village by promoting the village experience at outreach events in recognition of its impact on student success

Campus Units embodying the “Spirit of the Village” are those who

• Provide resources in support of Village mission and student learning outcomes.  
• Partner to curate curricular and co-curricular learning opportunities that supplement student development and engagement.
• Champion the purpose and mission of the Village by promoting the village experience at outreach events in recognition of its impact on student success

“Spirit of the Village creates a space where we hear from the students directly on the impacts of the village experience and the power of community and partnerships,” said Exploratory Studies Village Director Aisha Williams. 

2025 Spirit of the Village Campus Partners Recipients

Campus Unit

• African American Cultural Center

Faculty

• Erin Jordan

Staff

• Connor Brady
• Daniel Passanno
• Kaly Wall
• Natalie Heath

“The Spirit of the Village Award Celebration was a wonderful opportunity to highlight the impacts of our villages at NC State,” said Global Village and Native Space Program Director Alejandra Orellana-Portillo. “As a Program Director, it was reaffirming that all the hard work and dedication of our village teams is seen, valued and truly reaches the students.”