Undergraduate Humanitarian of the Year Award

Olivia Nicholson, Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health & Human Sciences

Throughout her time at FSU Olivia has been active in a variety of service activities. For example, she has served as a mentor in the Freshman Leadership Institute mentorship program and participated in the Anne’s College Student Leadership Council of which she is currently Chair. Olivia is also Vice President of the Student Alumni Association and is active in leading and mentoring student ambassadors, along with planning professional development initiatives for students. Closer to home, Olivia is the Social Chair for the Sport Management Student Association, and is active in coordinating social events and networking opportunities including scheduling guest speakers for association meetings. Olivia has a strong record of service and we are pleased present her with this recognition.

Tammy LaBorde, College of Applied Studies

Tammy LaBorde is an extraordinary student whose compassion and commitment to service truly set her apart. In addition to excelling academically in her courses, Tammy dedicates her time and energy to organizations that provide critical support to children and families, including Althea’s Legacy, A HOPE, Valerie’s House, and the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center. Through this work, she consistently demonstrates empathy, leadership, and a genuine desire to uplift those facing hardship. Tammy embodies the spirit of humanitarianism, and her impact on the community reflects both her exceptional character and her dedication to helping others, making her a deserving recipient of this award.

Dev Sangha, College of Arts & Sciences

Dev Sangha gives back by helping Hospice patients and conducts research developing lifesaving technologies. Dr. Solis, his nominating Professor, stated: “Dev Sangha is an outstanding student and community member who gives to his peers at school and also has a huge heart! I have had the privilege of working closely with Dev since he joined the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) in 2023. From the very beginning, Dev demonstrated not only intellectual curiosity but also a deep commitment to advancing research that serves the public good.” We are pleased to present him with this recognition.

Camila Fernandez, College of Business

Camila Fernandez is the current President for the student group GIVE-Volunteers at FSU. She thoughtfully organizes all meetings and actively interacts with outside stakeholders to help arrange all events and activities. She is responsible and serious, always looking for ways to make the organization's meetings more engaging and informative. Recently, she arranged with the local urban farm Treehouse Permaculture to create a morning-long volunteering activity. The student volunteers greatly enjoyed the hands-on work, work that resulted in food sold at local community farmers’ markets, such as the Frenchtown Farmers’ Cooperative Market. Camila has been truly dedicated throughout these past years leading FSU GIVE-Volunteers. She has gone beyond the call of duty, working much more than required to make the organization run smoothly. Additionally, she has worked with a few volunteer groups in her home country of Panama and has always been dedicated to sustainability-oriented initiatives.

Jacqueline Tinoco, College of Communication & Information

Jacqueline Tinoco has shared her talents by initiating free dance lessons to build community engagement and provided mentoring services to incoming students to ensure they felt supported as they transitioned to college. Her dedication to teaching multilingual classes to make sure all members can participate fully is commendable. Her nominator shared that it is through these achievements and commitment to others, that she exemplifies the true essence of servant leadership.

Lydia Beshures, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

Lydia Beshures is well known throughout the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and works hard across multiple areas to leave the college a better place to learn and grow for future engineering students. Lydia helped to found the Different Engineering Quotient Society in Engineering after seeing a need and struggle in the College for neurodiverse students; she wanted to create a place for students where they could be recognized for their unique ways of thinking, and that supported them with resources during their time as engineering students. In AIChE, Lydia serves as one of the upper division mentors to younger engineering students. In this position, she acts as a bridge between the executive board and younger members but also helps to mentor them through the first year of the chemical engineering curriculum. Lydia often tells students that she serves in this mentor capacity because she lacked a mentor in her first year in the engineering curriculum and wants to help make things smoother and clearer for students coming behind her. In addition to her work in Engineering, Lydia also serves as a teaching assistant for three STEM-based Engage 100 sections on campus. She is thoughtful in her responses to students and creates a supportive, challenging environment for students to learn and grow. She also helps them identify places where they can eliminate barriers in their STEM journey, and ways they can get involved outside of their major to ensure development as a person and a student.

Gannon Walcott, College of Medicine

In 2025, Gannon Walcott completed 1,032 service hours, embodying the qualities of service and leadership on and off campus. He has taken something he's passionate about, heart health, and put it into action to benefit a lot of people. With the organization Who We Play For, Gannon has performed hundreds of EKGs on young athletes to ensure their heart is healthy enough to play sports. He has also taught others how to perform these heart screenings, resulting in even more people benefitting from this life-saving test. To date, Who We Play For is responsible for performing 500,000 EKGs providing the largest collection of EKG data in the world! In addition to his involvement with Who We Play For, Gannon is currently a volunteer at Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare on the mobility team. He has been there for almost 2 years. Over his college career, he has volunteered at other places, including Camp Boggy Creek, Big Bend Cares, the Kearney Center, the American Red Cross, and Lotts Garden. He has accomplished all this while also maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA in a demanding STEM major. Gannon has been committed to service since he stepped on campus. He demonstrates his passion for helping people and possesses the qualities of a humanitarian.

Max Radtke, College of Motion Picture Arts

Max Radtke embodies the spirit of Camp Kesem, a camp dedicated to supporting children whose parents are battling cancer. He first attended Camp Kesem as a child, finding in it a space of understanding, safety, and joy during an unimaginably difficult chapter of his life. Last year Max began volunteering, fundraising, and actively advocating for the program that shaped him. He has played a meaningful role in raising critical funds to ensure that Camp Kesem remains free for families who need it most. He has worked hands-on with campers, modeling empathy, leadership, and emotional insight that far exceed his years. He continues to represent the values of Camp Kesem not only through service, but through his ability to build community, uplift others, and transform his own experience into meaningful action. Max understands firsthand the power of kindness, giving generously without expectation, and stepping forward to make life better for others simply because they can.

Josie Frein, College of Music

Josie Frein is always the first to volunteer for any task, especially those that involve helping others. Her contributions reflect a genuine, grounded, relational, and action-oriented approach. Josie is deeply committed to creating spaces where all, especially those with differing abilities, can fully participate and be visible. Specifically, she serves at Elder Day Stay on Fridays serving older adults with physical or cognitive limitations and she proactively thinks about accessibility when planning events or engaging in musical ensemble performances. She also currently works as a home music instructor, where many of the children she teaches are on the autism spectrum. Through individualized approaches and adaptable lesson plans, Josie demonstrates an attention to detail and an investment in communicating and collaborating to reduce barriers. Her efforts cultivate empathy, access, and promote public service as a shared value, helping peers see inclusion not as an add-on, but as core to ethical engagement and professional practice. Josie exemplifies a profound commitment to service, inclusivity, kindness, and leadership through her internships with both Opening Minds through Art and the Capital City Children’s Choir at FSU. Her work is consistent with the purpose of the Humanitarian of the Year award as she fosters welcoming, accessible, and engaged communities on campus and beyond.

Maria Moleiro, College of Nursing

Maria Moleiro’s empathetic approach to the world around her as well as her humble willingness to completely commit herself to her work defines her as a humanitarian. For example, Maria, who is a second-degree seeking student from FSU, shared how Nursing was not her original choice of profession. Instead, she had aspirations of being a costume designer and a psychologist. However, through her experiences, she saw a community-based need for nurses and decided to take on a new major to be able to help address this need. That is Maria in a nutshell: an empathetic individual, who sees a problem, and works hard to fix it the best she can. This attitude mixes into her interactions with the wider community. On top of being a fantastic nursing student, Maria works full-time at the CAPS (Counselling and Psychology Services) on campus, where she continues to help with psychiatric care. On FSU’s campus, she also serves as a College of Nursing Ambassador, offering advice to new students and helping with our outreach programs. Maria is never seen turning down the opportunity to help others, and whenever there is help that needs to be done, she is often one of the first people called upon for help.

Analia Castellanos, College of Social Sciences & Public Policy

Analia Castellanos is the founder of the student organization Global Aid, which was started in 2023. In her words, the organization has the goal of helping students engage with global issues, volunteer in fundraisers, and connect with others who share an interest in international affairs. Global Aid now has over 65 members and is recognized as an agency of the United Nations Crisis Relief division. In her role in this organization, Analia focuses on a country facing a humanitarian challenge for one or two months. During this time, they organize fundraisers and prepare research-based presentations that help members understand the issues at hand and how they can help. Ultimately, the organization strives to empower students to learn, collaborate, and make an impact.

Julia Roseborough, College of Social Work

Julia Roseborough has been a standout student due to her commitment to academic excellence, which is matched by her passion for ensuring that everyone has access to justice. During her time at FSU, Julia has made an indelible mark on and off campus. First, she served as the Vice President of Philanthropy & Service for Zeta Tau Alpha, leading her chapter in raising upwards of $100,000 for Breast Cancer Education and Awareness. Second, Julia served as a coordinator of the FSU Dance Marathon, which has placed FSU in the national spotlight for its giving efforts. In addition, the FSU College of Social Work’s Student Ambassador program was on hiatus when Julia joined the college. After learning of the college’s desire to strengthen the program, Julia worked to recruit peers and worked with administrators to reenergize the program, which actively has a full team of students involved in leadership. Julia plans to complete three internships to gain as much experience as possible, so that upon graduation, she will be well-prepared to make a positive impact and improve the lives of others. Julia’s first internship placed her at the Public Defender's Office in Tallahassee, where she worked with clients who often felt trapped in the criminal justice system. To continue building her capacity to serve in the justice arena, Julia is currently interning with the State Attorney's Office Witness in the Victim Assistance Program. This second professional experience involves direct collaboration with victims and their families. Following that internship, Julia will spend the summer of 2026 interning with the Innocence Project of Florida. These internship commitments are a testament to Julia's dedication to creating a world where justice is at the forefront.

Maya Coan, Dedman College of Hospitality

Maya Coan exemplifies a deep commitment to service and leadership both inside and outside the classroom. With an impressive GPA, Maya is pursuing a degree in Recreation and Tourism Management along with undergraduate certificates in Special Events and Beverage Management. Her dedication to philanthropy shines through her role as Director of Philanthropy for Phi Mu sorority and her active involvement in Dance Marathon supporting the Children’s Miracle Network. Beyond her academic and philanthropic achievements, Maya uses her passion for recreation to make a meaningful impact as Head Lifeguard and Health and Safety Instructor at FSU Campus Recreation, where she leads campus-wide CPR certification classes and teaches adult swim lessons to help individuals overcome their fear of water. Maya’s unwavering commitment to helping others and creating positive change truly embodies the spirit of the Humanitarian of the Year award.

Sarah McCourt, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship

Through her extensive portfolio of community engagement, leadership roles, and dedication to empowering others, Sarah McCourt demonstrates exceptional commitment to creating positive impact across multiple domains. Sarah’s humanitarian contributions are evident in her direct service to vulnerable populations. As a Coach for Girls on the Run International, she invested five months mentoring young girls, focusing on building self-confidence, emotional health, and physical fitness. Her work extended to elderly care at Angels Senior Living, where she assisted residents with daily living activities and promoted their mental and emotional well-being through social activities, with both roles showcasing her dedication to improving lives across generations. Sarah demonstrates the importance she places on fostering community connections by serving as a Student Ambassador for the Jim Moran College, where she represents the college's mission and promotes entrepreneurial opportunities. She also leads membership initiatives as Vice President of Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority, focusing on member retention and engagement. As Community Engagement Manager for the FSU Student Made store, Sarah continues to strengthen connections between students, local businesses, and university partners -- leaving a lasting, positive impact through every collaboration she helps bring to life.