Julia Cogdell, MSW ’21, received the President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership from the LCU Fund for Women’s Education (LCU Fund) at the organization’s 2021 virtual Celebration of LCU Scholars on October 20. In addition to being a dedicated scholar, Julia served as co-president of the School’s Students of Color Collective (SOCC) and as a Silver Champion admissions ambassador.
The LCU Fund awards grants to selected New York City educational institutions to provide housing grants to low-income women scholars preparing for careers in the arts, education, social work, public administration, religious leadership, criminal justice or health care. Each year the LCU Fund’s President’s Award for Excellence in Leadership recognizes one scholar supported by the fund who demonstrates extraordinary leadership in her school and/or home community.
Julia said her housing grant from the LCU Fund was instrumental to her educational and extracurricular success at Silver. “Being able to afford safe and convenient housing allowed me to focus on my studies and internship as well as devote time to NYU Silver organizations and programs that support my classmates, which were invaluable experiences in my social work education journey.”
In nominating Julia for the award, Silver’s former Associate Director of Inclusive Engagement and Student Life, Angie Kim, noted that Julia’s leadership of SOCC was particularly crucial during the 2020-21 academic year, when classes were held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Julia spearheaded virtual meetings and events that promoted a sense of belonging and helped connect Silver’s students of color from literally across the globe as they carried on with their studies and pursuit of a social work education.” Angie added that as a Silver Champion, Julia met and welcomed new and prospective students, served on panels and led webinar discussions to provide relevant and helpful information. “The Champions are an integral part of Silver’s recruitment process while also serving as friendly and familiar faces as new students arrive each fall and spring,” Angie said. “Once again, Julia gravitated toward opportunities to support an inclusive environment and lend her experiences and knowledge to help others succeed.”
Said Associate Dean of Student Affairs Courtney O’Mealley, “We at Silver are honored to be in partnership with the LCU Fund and to join in this recognition of Julia for her contributions and leadership within our community. The LCU Fund’s housing support is one of the reasons students like Juila are able to fully engage and contribute to Silver and the social work profession while working toward their MSW.”