Shi Receives COE Leadership Award

Chen Shi, a doctoral student in Special Education, is the recipient of the 2026 College of Education Graduate Student Leadership and Service Award.

Shi has demonstrated exemplary leadership and service through her sustained commitment to mentoring, advocacy, and community building. As the coordinator of the Special Education mentor program, she has been instrumental in organizing, strengthening, and sustaining mentoring efforts over the past four years. She is also a strong advocate for international students, providing ongoing informal support while representing their perspectives in faculty meetings to advance more inclusive and responsive practices.

Widely recognized for her approachable and supportive nature, she offers consistent academic guidance and emotional support to peers across programs within the college. Shi also serves as a vital bridge between students and faculty, fostering clear communication and mutual understanding, and actively shares academic resources to promote collective learning.

Through her efforts on WeChat and Instagram during Giving Days, Chen successfully mobilized support and secured donations that contribute to her program’s ongoing development and impact.

During last week’s awards ceremony, Acting Dean Robin Hojnoski thanked Shi for improving the quality of graduate student life in the College of Education and making the graduate experience better for all.