In Support of Positive Social Change

The Joseph F. Wall ’41 Service Award was established in 1996 as a tribute to the College’s 150-year tradition of social commitment. The award was named in honor of the late Joseph Wall ’41, professor of history and longtime dean, who inspired an ideal of social responsibility in his students.

Each year, the College awards two graduates with a prize of $25,000 each to jump-start or complete a project that shows creativity and commitment to effecting positive social change. Projects may be original or supplement existing programs, address issues specific to local communities or be of wider global concern, and be carried out domestically or internationally. 

Katie Lee ’09

Lee works for B Lab, a nonprofit organization that seeks to build a global community of businesses that meet the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility, public transparency, and legal accountability. Lee will use her $25,000 to jump-start B School, an online educational platform that will enable people around the world to learn about the B Corporation movement, improve its business practices, and take action to help companies manage their impact. Using her background in education, Lee will work with B Lab staff to develop individual courses and cohort training for internal and external audiences. She will also work with a creative designer to build and pilot the B School tech platform on a learning management system. Within one year, Lee intends to build and pilot this online education platform and launch courses for B Lab staff, B Corporation ambassadors, and the general public.

Renata Heberton ’06

Heberton’s award will fund the Pillar Project, a new extension of Angelica Village. Created in 2014, Angelica Village is a shared-living community in Denver that offers shelter, food, and sustained support to people experiencing homelessness. The Pillar Project will augment the mission of Angelica Village by providing personal and community support and mentoring for personal, educational, and occupational development. Specifically, the Pillar Project will support and advocate for unaccompanied refugee minors, young refugee adults, and formerly homeless adults to increase stability, connect with appropriate resources, provide enrichment, and identify and work toward life goals.