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Each academic year, the faculty of the Educational Leadership and Foundations Department chooses students to receive the Educational Leadership Awards. This decision is based on observed leadership potential of the recipients and demonstrated academic excellence in their coursework. This year's recipients are listed below.

Receiving these awards was a significant honor for the winners. Brianna Pesci, winner of a School Leadership Award, feels “very blessed to have been able to be part of the Educational Leadership Program at BYU.” She is grateful for professors who have believed in her and for “a program that has pushed me to dig into my ‘why’ and to stay true to it as I continue in my career as an educator.” 

Allison Hallam shares her gratitude for winning a Partnership Cohort Award and says of her cohort, “we encourage each other, and as a result, I have been more persistent in my own endeavors to be successful. I have gained applicable skills, and a greater understanding of the significance of effective leadership in education. It has been exciting to be a part of a program that prepares its students to become leaders with the potential to foster a culture conducive to building the capacity of all learners.”

Winner of an Education Doctorate Award, Jeff Hamm, says that “winning this award was at first a shock, and then extremely humbling, because I was chosen from such an awesome cohort. . . . I have always viewed this as a team effort because my peers have always been there for me." Hamm shares that his professors and cohort have influenced him and helped him grow: “The real ‘reward’ has been all the terrific relationships I have made over the past two years during our collective journey together.”

School Leadership Awards: 

Brianna Pesci—2020 Executive School Leadership Program

Nate Crandall—2021 Alpine Cohort

Partnership Cohort Award 2021:

Amy Burge

Kendra Davis 

Allison Hallam 

Heidi Nelson 

Ashley Snarr 

Education Policy Studies Award: 

Hunter Garrett 

Education Doctorate Awards: 

Jeff Hamm 

Belinda Talonia