Caruso Law Hosts 6th Annual Parris Awards
As they say, the show must go on! Every spring, Pepperdine Caruso Law invites our entire community of faculty, staff, and students to nominate outstanding candidates - those students who represent the core mission of purpose, service, and leadership in all that they pursue - for the Annual Parris Awards. On April 8, Pepperdine Caruso Law carried on with the tradition, hosting its annual ceremony in a socially distanced fashion. More than 160 people joined us on Zoom, and in his opening remarks, Dean Paul Caron expressed, "We have missed you all over the past four weeks, and we are so happy to have this opportunity to be together virtually."
Nominations are based on actual narratives of stories that capture each candidate's attributes. The 2020 Parris Award recipients are:
Excellence in Professionalism
Winner: Emily Holland
Presenter: Jeff Baker
Excellence in Peacemaking
Winner: Victoria Votino
Presenter: Nancy Hunt
Excellence in Service
Winner: Chris De Lorenz
Presenter: Maureen Weston
Excellence in Courage
Winner: Spencer Post
Presenter: Chalak Richards
Winner: Ashley Torres
Presenter: Tanya Cooper
Excellence in Leadership
Winner: Luke Manzo
Presenter: Naomi Goodno
Excellence in Character
Winner: Alex Prime
Presenter: Steve Schultz
The Pepperdine Award
Winner: Alex Prime and Jacob Bliss
Presenter: Dean Caron
Evan T. Carthen Awards for Inspirational Leadership
The Evan T. Carthen Awards for Inspirational Leadership are named for Evan Carthen who was a member of the Class of 2019. His sister, who attended this year's ceremony, addressed the Class of 2020 on behalf of the Carthen family. Dr. Megan Carthen-Jackson said, "I commend you for your grit and determination...you have all stayed the course and provided true inspiration in navigating uncharted territories."
Winners: Max Johnson, Jonathan Maseng, Ryan Hiepler
Presenter: Professor Kubisch, Professor S. Williams, Professor Helfand
Since its inception in 2015, the Parris Institute for Professional Excellence has initiated a strategic investment in law students with an emphasis on developing who they are as leaders as much as what they know as lawyers. For more information, please visit our website.
