Akwe:kon Awards and Recognitions
Akwe:kon celebrates the distinguished residents and leaders in the House! Nyá:węh/Thank you for your dedication to our community and for being ambassadors for Indigenous cultures and peoples! We also recognize the incredible service that the Resident Advisors, Madison Stevens (Six Nations Mohawk) and Catherine Rodriguez, as well as Office Assistant, Kimberly Fuqua (Lumbee), provided to the program and the residents, enriching their living and learning experience and building a safe community.
Congratulations to all recipients! Nyá:węh for your service!
Akwe:kon Leadership Award
Recognizes students who through their leadership in Akwe:kon encouraged multicultural learning, fostered the extended family concept, and promoted Native American awareness on behalf of all Native people.
Awardee: Ana Suppe
As a first-year student, Ana took on the role of sustainability coordinator right away and went on to complete the tasks associated with the role.
Akwe:kon Peer Appreciation Award
Recognizes a resident of Akwe:kon for his/her contributions to support the development of the Akwe:kon community, both on and off campus.
Awardee: Ryan Fallon
Ryan started enthusiastically participating in events at Akwe:kon despite previously not knowing the other residents. Ryan became a welcome kind face at these events and became a supporting peer in the house.
Akwe:kon Outstanding Resident Award
Chosen for her/his exemplary leadership and outstanding commitment to the growth and sustainability of the Akwe:kon community.
Awardee: Sage Printup
Sage would always help cleaning up after events and handling cleaning up other people’s dishes if it came down to it. She’d always offer her help with whatever was being done for the community whether that be cooking or baking and just helping get the kitchen back into shape after events.
Resident Advisor Recognitions
Kimberly Fuqua ’21 (Office Assistant)
Kimberly Fuqua is an integral member of the AIISP and Akwe:kon team. Her support with programming and her significant presence has helped to establish a welcome community at Akwe:kon as well as a leader with the Indigenous Graduate Student Association (IGSA).
Kimberly is from the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. She is a special education teacher, working on her Master of Public Administration (MPA) focused on Social Educational Policy at the Cornell Institute of Public Affairs; she will graduate in May 2021. Experienced in teaching and advocacy for over 10 years, she has a passion for advocating for minorities and students with disabilities, and working in policy to ensure a fair and appropriate education for students in public schools.
She is the vice-president of the Indigenous Graduate Student Association at Cornell. She is also working toward the Systems Thinking Modeling Leadership Certificate. Kimberly is also interested in the human rights aspect of policy due to her personal experience, as her tribe continues to struggle for equality.
Catherine Rodriguez ’22
Catherine (Cathy) Rodriquez’s contributions as a team member to the Akwe:kon staff have been valuable. She is always welcoming and friendly to everyone at Akwe:kon. She ensures programs are relevant and provide engaging and opportunities for learning.
Cathy also played an essential role in fostering Akwe:kon’s community this past semester. Along with her RA duties, Cathy is also very active in the community and her role as a leader continues to inspire others.
Cathy is a sophomore in the College of Human Ecology, majoring in Human Development. Cathy is very passionate about the development of children and adolescents, especially through education. On campus, Cathy is the secretary of the Cornell Caribbean Students Association, Dance Ensemble, and involved with BOSS, Cru, Quisqueya, & CSA.
Madison Stevens ’21
Madison Stevens is a valuable team member to the Akwe:kon staff. She ensures the residents and out of house members feel welcomed and seeks out programs/events which foster collaboration and build community.
Madison stepped into a role with the CoreRA this past year. Her active involvement in a number of organizations bodes to her commitment to creating and fostering our community through dedication and hard work
Madison is a member of the Six Nations Mohawk and Seneca Nations. She is a junior Human Development major in the College of Human Ecology with a minor in Inequality Studies on a Health Equity Track. She is the co-chair of Native American and Indigenous Students at Cornell (NAISAC) and a member of the Cornell Women’s Club Lacrosse team. She has lived in Akwe:kon for both her freshmen and sophomore years at Cornell.
