KU students honored with Tradition of Excellence Award
LAWRENCE — Ten University of Kansas students received the 2025 Tradition of Excellence Award for their leadership on the Lawrence campus. Winners were honored at a ceremony and reception April 24 at the Jayhawk Welcome Center.
The Tradition of Excellence Award, presented annually by the KU Alumni Association and the Student Alumni Network, recognizes students who have significantly enhanced the KU community through efforts such as serving as teaching assistants, leading student organizations or volunteering in the Lawrence community.
Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for the award, which includes a $1,000 scholarship and $200 for each recipient to donate to a KU Endowment fund of their choice.
The 2025 Tradition of Excellence Award winners:
- Edona “Donna” Kraja, a senior in accounting and international business from Montenegro.
- Hailey Meggers, a senior in biochemistry from Hutchinson.
- Jessica Mumm, a senior in strategic communications from Omaha, Nebraska.
- Yash Prajapati, a senior in mathematics and interdisciplinary computing from India.
- Fatima Qureshi, a senior in molecular, cellular & developmental biology from Overland Park.
- Ariana Siddique, a junior in molecular, cellular & developmental biology from Overland Park.
- Madeline Souser, a senior in political science and environmental studies from Lansing.
- Austin Sullivan, a doctoral candidate in medical nutrition science from Independence, Missouri.
- Astha Thapa, a senior in computer science from Nepal.
- Emily Ward, a senior in anthropology and political science from Manhattan.
About the Tradition of Excellence Award
The award is organized by KU Student Alumni Ambassadors, a student organization that provides students with leadership experience in support of the KU Alumni Association and KU Endowment. Student Alumni Ambassadors champion alumni networking, philanthropic engagement and numerous KU traditions. The Tradition of Excellence Award is funded through private support raised through KU Endowment’s Class Legacy Walk, an initiative that honors and celebrates the legacy of past generations of Jayhawks with a growing campus walkway near the Ambler Student Recreation Center.