At the end of the year, Santa Clara University sends off its graduates with one last bittersweet farewell at commencement. The ceremony allows students and faculty to reminisce about their time at SCU and feel proud of their accomplishments leading to the conferring of degrees. For the few students who went above and beyond, SCU honors them with prestigious awards like the Peter-Hans Kolvenbach S.J. Award, the Nobili Medal and the Saint Clare Medal. Named after notable figures in Santa Clara history, these awards bestow an honor of the recipients who exemplify what it means to uphold Jesuit values. But what exactly are the origins of these awards? Today we look at the history of some of the senior awards.
The Peter-Hans Kolvenbach S.J. Award
This award is named after former Superior General of the Jesuits, Peter-Hans Kolvenbach S.J., who was known for his advocacy towards social justice. The President of our university specifically chooses a graduating senior who they believe upholds the ideals of Jesuit education by being “a whole persons of solidarity in the real world and having the courage and faith to build a more just and humane world” (University Awards).
For the class of 2021, outgoing Associated Student Government President Ciara Moezidis was given this honor!
“It is the calling of a Jesuit university to take a conscious responsibility for being a force of justice.”
– Peter-Hans Kolvenbach S.J.
The Saint Clare Medal
This award was first introduced in 1967, to honor the fact that women could now attend SCU. The Saint Clare Medal is named after Santa Clara de Assisi, where Mission Santa Clara and our greater city get their name. St. Clare was the founder of an order of nuns called the Poor Clares, who were known for their perpetual fasting and refusal of worldly pleasures like money. Many have praised Saint Clare for her extreme devotion to her faith (Santa Clara de Asis by Rev. A.D. Spearman S.J). In honor of her faithfulness, the Saint Clare Medal is awarded to “the female graduate who is judged outstanding in personal character, school activities, and overall contribution to the University” (University Awards). The first recipient of this award was Laura E. Arnold, who was extremely involved on campus as office manager of The Santa Clara and secretary for Phi Alpha Theta, the History honors society (“Outstanding Graduates Recieve Medal Awards”, The Santa Clara).
For the class of 2021, the medal was given to Briahna Jackson!
The Nobili Medal
The Nobili Medal was established in 1876, making it the oldest senior award today. It is the male counterpart of the Saint Clare award and is named after the first president of Santa Clara College, Father John Nobili. In 1851, Fr. Nobili and Michael Accolti obtained the property of the Santa Clara Mission with the guarantee that the Jesuits transforms it into a learning institution for the local Catholic population. Under Fr. Nobili’s leadership, the school would officially become a college in 1854 and provide a philosophical and scientific-based curriculum not previously seen in California (University of Santa Clara: A History from the founding of Santa Clara Mission in 1777 to the beginning of the University in 1912).
The first known recipient of the award was James Franklin, while the most recent recipient of the award was Alexander Quan ’21!
Congratulations to the Class of 2021 for surviving a rather treacherous year! Graduating under a global pandemic is no easy feat, and awarded or not, everyone deserves recognition for their perseverance. To my fellow seniors, as we leave SCU let us not forget the Jesuit values that our university has instilled in us. I wish you all nothing but success and happiness in the future!
Header Image: Medal with University Seal 1981 (from the Santa Clara University Medals and Awards Collection, 1854-1989)