10 Years of Standing Up
What Do YOU Stand Up For?
The Rock Ethics Institute inaugurated the Stand Up Award to honor Penn State undergraduate students who have demonstrated courage, fortitude, and ethical leadership by taking a stand for a person, a cause, or a belief. Scroll down to learn about what Penn State students stood up for throughout the last 10 years.
Stand Up 2016
We Stand Up For
Social Justice, Environmental Justice, and Combatting Student Poverty.
Do you know a Penn State Undergraduate student who stands up for a belief, a cause, or an idea?
Stand Up 2015
We Stand Up For
LGBTQ+ Communities, Against Global Poverty, and Preventing Sexual Violence.
10 Years of Honorees
This award and the individuals it honors should remind the entire Penn State community of how often the extraordinary act is possible in ordinary circumstances. Learn more about past awardees by clicking on each poster below.
Jaden Rankin-Wahlers
Sarah O’Donald
Parker Werns
Ruth Canagarajah
Hayly Hoch
Stephen Lucas
Nathan Larkin
Shane George
Staci Neal
Taryn Noll
Zachary Brubaker
Alanna Kaiser
Andie Graham
Barbara Donnini
Alexis Scott
Desiree Martin
Elizabeth Francis
Miatta Massaley
Maggie Cardin
Joshua Brady Branch
Koann Eicher
Brian Davis
Melissa McCleery
Jeremy Weisblatt
Peggy Styles
Julian Haas
Carolyn McDonald
Gizelle Studevent
Jeff Brozena
Hilary Griffith
Emily Helms
Sara Kizer
Mallorie McCue
Do you know a Penn State Undergraduate student who stands up for a belief, a cause, or an idea?
Do You Have Any Questions?
If you don’t see your question here, please contact us.
What is the Stand Up Award?
The Rock Ethics Institute inaugurated the Stand Up Award to honor Penn State undergraduate students who have demonstrated courage, fortitude, and ethical leadership by taking a stand for a person, a cause, or a belief. This award and the individuals it honors should remind the entire Penn State community of how often the extraordinary act is possible in ordinary circumstances.
What do you need to Stand Up?
In the face of difficult challenges, social pressures, and conflicting claims concerning what to do, it takes courage and conviction to Stand Up for the beliefs that we hold dear. You can Stand Up if you have:
- Confidence, borne of solid understanding of the tools for ethical inquiry
- Experience that leads to understanding the possible consequences of speaking out
- Knowledge of ethical norms and values
- Articulating the particular ethical values and principles that are most relevant to an ethical situation
- Assessing where substantive agreements and disagreements occur in everyday life and actions
- Modeling productive ways of addressing disagreements
- Acting with ethical leadership
What can you do to help honor a student?
Nominate a Penn State Student from any campus in the commonwealth and help these undergraduate ethical leaders receive recognition for their accomplishments.
Can I nominate a Penn State Undergrad?
Absolutely! Any faculty, staff, student, or community member may nominate a Penn State undergraduate student from any campus for the Stand Up Award
Can I help spread the word about this award?
Absolutely! You can find a variety of materials in our Stand Up Marketing Kit. This kit includes downloadable posters, 2017 Call for Nomination flyers, social media art, sample social media posts, and sample email templates. You are free to use these items as you see fit. If you have any questions about our marketing materials, please contact us.
Does the nominee need to be full-time?
Yes, the nominee must be enrolled as a full-time baccalaureate student at any Penn State campus during at least one semester of the 2016/17 academic year.
How do I nominate a student?
You can submit your nomination via the online nomination form. Both the nominee and the nominator can submit their information independently and the other will be notified once the required materials are submitted.
What is required of the nominator during the application process?
Nominators must write a confidential letter on behalf of the student. This letter should address the items listed below. Please be specific and provide relevant details for the Stand Up Award Committee to consider in their review process.
- How do you know the student?
- How did you become aware of the student’s ethical leadership?
- What did the student accomplish?
- What is the ethical issue(s) that the student’s actions addressed?
- How did the student serve as an exemplar of ethical leadership?
What is required of the nominee during the application process?
A three-part essay written by the nominee, of no more than 750 words, describing what was accomplished, the ethical reasoning that led to this action, and how these actions involved ethical leadership. The nominee can find the editable essay form here. In order to understand the Rock Ethics Institute’s conception of ethical leadership we encourage students to view our Ethical Leadership Education module.
Do you know a Penn State Undergraduate student who stands up for a belief, a cause, or an idea?
Contact Us
Do you have a question about the Stand Up Award? Would you like marketing materials to help share this award?
Ask a Question
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