Author: Kristina Clement
Atlanta, GA – The Fall 2020 recipient of the Nell Hamilton Trotter Award is Mariana Ortiz Padilla, a Psychology major, from Marietta, Georgia. A dedicated scholar and servant leader, Mariana has been engaged in the campus as well as greater Atlanta community throughout her tenure at Georgia State. In her first year, she volunteered with the Latino Community of Practice in the Center for Leadership in Disability, as one of the first Latinx students to participate in the program. Since then, the program has expanded to facilitate a mentoring pipeline and Mariana has been instrumental in working to recruit more Latinx students who are interested in public health.
During her sophomore year, Mariana was the only undergraduate student accepted into the Georgia Leadership in Education and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program, an interdisciplinary training program for graduate students. Through this program, she completed over 300 hours of classes and community outreach focused on equity for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities. That same year, Mariana also became a member of the Delta Beta chapter of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., where she would serve as Recruitment and Retention Chair and later President. One of her most memorable campus experiences was running for Miss Blue and White as a member of the Multicultural Greek Council and enjoying the support and encouragement of her fellow fraternity and sorority members.
During her time at Georgia State, Mariana was actively involved in the Latino Leadership Council, the umbrella organization for Latinx organizations. In 2019, she was elected president of the council, and in this role, she was able to coordinate and co-sponsor events such as Atole y Pintura, Salsita for You, and Taste of Latin America. Through her involvement in Greek Life and the Latino Leadership Council, Mariana also helped to coordinate voter registration drives in the Latinx community. Outside of campus, she was actively involved in the Latin American Association, where she mentored Latinx high school students, the Democratic Party of Georgia, Poder Latinx, and El Refugio.
Mariana has been recognized for her contributions on and off campus. She was initiated into the Order of Omega Honor Society, which recognizes exemplary leadership of the top three percent of the Greek community. She was also recognized as a member of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology. In 2020, she was named Campus Leader of the Year by Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc., as well as received the Royal Flame Leadership Award for her service to the campus community.
Mariana represents the highest ideals of leadership through her pursuit of excellence both inside and outside of the classroom. She will be remembered for her kind heart and dedication to the service of others. After graduation, Mariana plans to continue working at the Center for Leadership in Disability. In the fall of 2021, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in public health. We wish her well in her future endeavors. Please join me in congratulating the Fall 2020 recipient of the Nell Hamilton Trotter Award, Mariana Ortiz Padilla.
The Nell Hamilton Trotter Student Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding commitment to student involvement and is the highest student leadership award presented by the university. For nearly 40 years, Nell Hamilton Trotter was a loyal member of the Georgia State University community. She was the first dean of women at Georgia State and served for many years as a dedicated faculty member. Dean Nell Hamilton Trotter personified the ideal qualities students, particularly student leaders, are expected to emulate.