The 5th Yale-NUS Kingfisher Awards celebrates the best of the College community

Yale-NUS Kingfisher Awards returned for its fifth iteration on 21 April 2022. Held annually to recognise the dedication and achievements of student leaders and organisations, the ceremony was marked with liveliness, given the recent relaxation of the COVID-19 restrictions.

“We are so pleased to have more people in person for this year’s ceremony!  It was a great way to support each other and applaud the many accomplishments of our community!” enthused Associate Dean of Students Cory Owen.

This was further illustrated by an electric candle lighting activity held at the end of the event. According to Assoc Dean Owen, it was included “to remind ourselves of the strength within the community”.

Electric candle lighting activity during the Kingfisher Awards Ceremony. Image by Martin Choo (Class of 2023).

This year’s ceremony saw a total of 57 nominations across 12 categories.

In recognition of her efforts behind Body-Ody, a collective aimed at raising awareness and starting conversations about body neutrality, Nageen Ayesha Rameez (Class of 2024) won the Commitment to Community and Social Change award. Along with her co-founder, Nageen saw the need to start the collective to create a support network for students as they adapted to life in the College. “We came to realise that the transition into college is a particularly volatile time for our relationships with our bodies. For many of us, this is the first time we are completely independent and making all the decisions regarding how to care for and nurture our bodies,” explained Nageen.

Nageen Ayesha Rameez (Class of 2024) receiving the Commitment to Community and Social Change award. Image by Martin Choo (Class of 2023).

Since setting up the collective in 2021, Body-Ody has made its presence felt on campus through various activities. One of the events that Nageen is particularly proud of, is Body-Ody’s Diversity Week collaborative art project. Students were encouraged to contribute a mosaic piece based on the theme “To Build a Body”. With over 50 pieces created and positive feedback from fellow students, Nageen remembers being touched by everyone’s willingness and enthusiasm to engage with the theme.

Body-Ody’s Diversity Week art collaborative project. Image provided by Nageen Ayesha Rameez (Class of 2024).

Seeing the collective accomplish so much in such a short span of time, Nageen is filled with inspiration and ideas for Body-Ody’s future: “There are so many events that I cannot wait to explore and share with the community. I am also enthusiastic about strengthening ties within the collective and nurturing the intimate space we have created for ourselves.”

Billy Tran (Class of 2024) receiving his Student Organisation Leader of the Year award. Image by Martin Choo (Class of 2023).

Equally passionate about contributing to campus life, Billy Tran (Class of 2024) was awarded Student Organisation Leader of the Year. As Vice President of Campus Life and mentor to three directors within the Student Government, Billy’s leadership skills are widely acknowledged by his peers.

Guided by the principle of empowering students’ voices and advocating for their best interests, Billy rose to the challenge of fulfilling his role as a student leader in the aftermath of the announcement of the College’s closure. “Through the post-merger initiatives and the NUS College Working Group, I focused on two things: maintaining the Yale-NUS experience for our current student body and ensuring that the Yale-NUS legacy carries on,” shared Billy. To that end, he consulted with stakeholders from Yale-NUS, University Scholars Programme, and the National University of Singapore to chart out possible paths for the College’s student organisations for the next few years; as well as established communication channels for students to express their ideas about NUS College.

“I am very grateful that the community trusted me with their stories, their thoughts, suggestions, and ideas such that I could raise them to the relevant stakeholders and organise initiatives that would address them,” remarked Billy. “I know it is cheesy to say this, but I love the Yale-NUS community so much and it has been an honour to have been able to serve it. I hope that my work has made campus life a vibrant, energetic, and inclusive one that everyone raves about.”

While students are an important pillar of the Yale-NUS community, this year’s Kingfisher Awards introduced a new segment to show appreciation to departing faculty members. Along with acknowledging their invaluable role in cultivating the College’s community of learning, students also shared about the unique contributions and support that these faculty members had rendered.

Annette Wu (Class of 2017) receiving the Unsung Hero award. Image by Martin Choo (Class of 2023).

Additionally, Intercultural Engagement Assistant Manager Annette Wu (Class of 2017) won the Unsung Hero award in recognition of her contributions to initiatives such as Diversity Week and the campus accessibility map. On the value and impact of her involvement in these projects, Assistant Manager Annette attributes it to teamwork. “I truly feel that the best part of my job is that my work always depends on collaboration with others. There is no way for any one person to do “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” work. It takes a community and a whole network of supporters to help effect change.”

As an alumna and staff member, the award is doubly significant for Assistant Manager Annette. “I think receiving the Unsung Hero award has reminded me to pause and reflect on all the staff and faculty members who make the day-to-day functioning of this institution possible; and made it possible for me to have received a transformative education and to articulate (and practise) my values,” she noted.

The full list of award categories and winners is as follows: