Belmont Student Leadership Awards 2025

More than 50 students and organizations on campus recognized for their work building up the Belmont community

Belmont University students, along with select staff and faculty, across disciplines and interests were honored for their commitment to campus leadership at the 2025 Belmont Student Leadership Awards (BSLAs), presented by the Division for Student Formation, Wednesday, April 9. This year’s event marks a historic milestone, with more nominations and awards presented than ever before in the celebration’s history. 

 The opening address by University President Dr. Greg Jones set the tone for the evening by highlighting the importance of servant leadership across campus. Jones commended honorees and encouraged students to “lead wisely and serve well.”  

In addition to student awards, the "Soulebrity” Award was introduced to honor staff members in the Division for Student Formation who embody the University’s SOUL framework daily. 

Students find leadership opportunities in many shapes and forms, and the BSLAs brings them all together in a night to honor and celebrate their contributions to their respective organizations and the collective leadership they represent at Belmont. Junior Grace Lappenga, co-hosted this year’s award ceremony. As a highly engaged student leader, she serves as an Orientation Council leader for Towering Traditions and is a member of several organizations including Bruin Recruiters, Fall Follies, the Phi Mu sorority and the Public Relations Student Society of America. 

“Belmont wouldn't be the same without our student leaders, they are tone setters for campus culture,” said Lappenga. “We have countless student leaders on campus that pour hours of their time into their various student organizations roles. The BLSAs create a space for them to be recognized.” 

Nominees were also honored at a new event meant to create an opportunity for all nominees to connect over a shared meal prior to the awards ceremony — the Nom & Nom’s luncheon is a play on words that indicate the lunch and nominations.  

“For the past six years, our committee has worked to find a way to celebrate students who have chosen to show up, link up and step up at Belmont by engaging in leadership opportunities on and off campus,” said Dr. AdriAnne Sternberg, associate dean of students, leadership and engagement. “Whether a student is selected as an award winner or not, every nominee is celebrated at the Nom & Nom’s.” 

1000 Leadership Experiences Marks Major Milestone 

Leadership development is a key part of the University’s holistic approach to education, and students participate in a wide range of opportunities, many of which are curated through the Belmont Office of Leadership Development (BOLD) program. This year, Belmont reached another major milestone. In just a few years, the number of student leadership development experiences has grown dramatically—from just over 200 in a single academic year to 1,000 this year. BOLD's celebration of this rapid growth reflects the University's strong commitment to developing diverse leaders of character. 

A Banner Year for Leadership at Belmont 

From students making a difference in their residence halls to staff and faculty mentoring future changemakers, the ceremony brought together the best of the Belmont community in one powerful event.  

This year, the award committee received an unprecedented 295 nominations and award submissions, setting a record for leadership and engagement across campus. 

In total, 91 individuals and groups were honored during the ceremony: 

• 80 students received individual recognition 

• 8 staff and faculty members were honored for their mentorship and leadership 

• 3 student organizations received awards for excellence in service, engagement and innovation 

A total of 40 different awards were distributed, with several categories recognizing multiple deserving recipients.