Seven Falk College students have completed the first year of the WellsLink Leadership program, with honors presented during an October 31 ceremony at Hendricks Chapel. The WellsLink Scholars include Kristin Abraham, Isaiah D. Brown, Niakale Camara, Emma L. del Sol, Ashley K. Dixon, Steve Lopez, and Matilda A. Owuo. “WellsLink Scholars have a reputation for positively influencing our campus during their four years at Syracuse University,” says Huey Hsiao, associate director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and lead for the program. “The Transitions Ceremony is an annual tradition and a joyous occasion for us to celebrate the first-year accomplishments of our WellsLink Scholars. The celebration does not end there though; these students will continue to do great things during their time here and beyond.”

The event is open to the campus community, followed by a reception and book signing with keynote speaker, Helen Zia. Zia is an award-winning journalist and scholar who has covered Asian American communities and social and political movements for decades. She is the author of “Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2001), a finalist for the prestigious Kiriyama Pacific Rim Book Prize.

The WellsLink Leadership Program is an academic and leadership excellence program for first-year students. Through structured academic, social and cultural enrichment activities, WellsLink Scholars develop the leadership capital necessary for exceptional success at Syracuse University and beyond. The goal of the program is to give students an edge in college, offering them the tools necessary to achieve their academic goals, develop professionalism and expand their awareness of valuable resources and opportunities. The WellsLink Leadership program is the winner of the NASPA Excellence Award.