In a celebratory evening dubbed “The F&MMYs,” Franklin & Marshall College presented the College’s annual student awards April 16, prior to the start of finals. During the gala event – hosted by the Diplomatic Congress, the Office of Student Engagement, and the Office of Student Affairs — five seniors, three underclassmen and one student organization were recognized with leadership awards that are presented each spring.

Alice Distler Award

Named in honor of the woman who was instrumental in the formation of the College’s Health Services and recognizing students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in volunteer service to the community.

Recipients: Jonah Fisher ’26, Jamie Fleshel ’26, and Mickey Duggan ’27

All three students were lauded for their volunteer efforts, both at F&M and in the surrounding community. In addition, Fisher’s nomination stated he had been engaged as a volunteer with organizations in Lancaster starting in his first year at F&M and had “spearheaded the running of an immigration clinic in collaboration with Church World Service.” Fleshel was a Diplomat Leadership Scholar all four years, and her nomination mentioned that the “continued and varied ways in which Jamie has engaged with volunteering is impressive and representative of her focus on engaging her community through a lens of justice and health.” Duggan, in addition to her volunteer work, served as president of F&M’s Catastrophic Relief Alliance.

Stanley Craig Memorial Award

Presented to a student judged by a faculty committee to have demonstrated the highest qualities of personality, character, and involvement.

Recipient: Gonzalo Gentou ’26 

Gentou was recognized for many leadership roles: house adviser for Brooks College House, president of his fraternity, captain of the men’s tennis team, and \founder of a sports services startup. He was recognized for always remaining “friendly, honest, calm and competent.” His nominator added, “I honestly always walk away from a conversation with Gonzalo feeling hopeful for the future.”

Muhlenberg Goodwill Prize

Presented to a senior who has exhibited unusual growth in the comprehension of social issues and who is dedicated to the improvement of social conditions in the larger community.

Recipient: Ainsley McClure ’26 

McClure’s nomination lauded her work as a preceptor, summer scholar and independent researcher, and the positive way she has developed her political voice over her four years. The nominator also said “she pushes herself to know more, do better, think more carefully because she knows that knowledge is necessary to build stronger communities.” McClure was a pitcher for the softball team, twice earning a spot on the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Major Dick Winters Award

Established by F&M to honor the legacy of Major Dick Winters ’41 and recognizing a student who has exhibited the strength of character, the quality of perseverance, and the skill of leadership that defined Major Winters.

Recipient: Jack Borden ’26 

Borden was captain of the soccer team and head of student engagement for the Student Athlete Leadership Council, where he was credited with building a “supportive, connected culture.” His nomination also said his "citizen-scholar-athlete" mindset extends to his commitment to service and he “leads through empathy and action.”

Bicentennial Prize

Presented to a rising senior in good academic standing who has made outstanding contributions to F&M in an extracurricular endeavor.

Recipient: Julia Butensky ’27 

Butensky is a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and a prolific volunteer with the Panhellenic Council (president her junior year) and F&M’s Diplomatic Congress (media director her junior year), in addition to participating in national campus activities and Greek life leadership events.

Thomas Gilmore Apple Prize

Presented each year to a member of the sophomore class. The winner is chosen from nominees submitted by members of the faculty and administration, and must demonstrate they have represented and used their influence for the best ideals of character and leadership within the F&M campus and community. 

Recipient: Madeline Bonhomme ’28 

Bonhomme was involved in many organizations, and served as a house adviser and the sophomore class president this year. She was the first-year class president last year. Her nominator said she “represents the best of F&M: intellectually engaged, civically committed, and grounded in strong personal values.”

Benjamin D. Peralta Award

Recognizes a student organization that has contributed in a significant or unique way to Franklin & Marshall College or the Lancaster community.

Recipient: The International Student Advisory Board (ISAB)

The nomination for this award credited the ISAB student leaders with making “a deliberate shift in their organizational identity” this year, “actively engaging in institutional conversations affecting international students.” The nomination concluded by saying, “ISAB has now evolved into both a cultural and institutional body, one that celebrates identity while also representing student concerns at higher administrative levels. As a result of ISAB's continued efforts, international student life has become not only more vibrant, but also more empowered and structurally supported.”