Each year the President’s Community Advisory Committee on Diversity presents a Mary Washington student with the Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership. This award is given to a rising senior enrolled in the University, who possesses strong characteristics of leadership and demonstrates a personal commitment – advocating for diversity and inclusion across campus. Once the recipient is chosen he or she serves as an ambassador for diversity, a peer mentor to underrepresented students, and a voice for underrepresented populations to the faculty and staff.
Once chosen as the recipient of the Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership, the recipient will be asked to serve in various capacities throughout the 2023-2024 academic year. The ongoing service agenda will be mutually beneficial, service will be provided to the campus community, and the student will continue to develop academically and socially.
Adrianna Giddings
2023 – 2024 Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership Recipient
Adrianna Giddings is a senior majoring in Communications and minoring in Digital Studies and Social Justice. Originally from Newport News, Virginia, she currently resides in Suffolk and plans to serve and advocate for persons with disabilities after completing her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Adrianna’s passion for serving persons with disabilities stems in part from her own lived experiences as a person with multiple disabilities.
Throughout her time at Mary Washington, Adrianna has been involved with many multicultural and social justice clubs and events. She currently serves as president of the Zeta Mu chapter of Delta Alpha Pi, an international honor society for persons with disabilities, leader of the UMW Praise Dance club, and was former vice president of DiversAbility. In addition to these roles, Adrianna has also served on campus-wide committees, such as the Disability Awareness Month planning committee where she has served as an integral part of the planning and execution of this celebration for three years. Her position in these roles grants Adrianna the opportunity to engage and educate the campus and community about disability culture, as well as inspire individuals to be bold and fearless in their expression of who they are. Adrianna has also participated in several other multicultural events/ experiences at the university, such as volunteering at the MLK Day of Service activities, participating in the Social Justice and Leadership Summit, in addition to performing at multiple Gospelfest events and Kwanzaa celebrations.
Adrianna’s other roles include working as an assistive technology student aide in the Office of Disability Resources. In this position, she works with incoming first year and transfer students to provide mentorship, as well as technological training, on various applications and devices using accessibility features. In addition to working with students, Adrianna also works as an accessibility liaison checking the accessibility of various materials from different departments and offices across campus. She has worked in these roles for almost 3 years.
Adrianna’s passion for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility is evident and present in all that she does. She plans to continue to advocate and educate the campus and community about these and other topics related to multiculturalism and diversity as the recipient of the 2023- 2024 Citizenship Award for Diversity Leadership. Adrianna plans to accomplish this during her final year by drawing attention for the need for campus-wide accessibility, as well as being a voice of the students.
Applications/Nominations are closed at this time.
To apply for the Citizenship Award for Diversity presented annually during the Diversity Program, which is part of Orientation Week, a student must complete the application as well as submit one (1) faculty or staff recommendation. Faculty and Staff may nominate students for this award as well.
If you have questions, contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at 540-654-1044 or msanford@umw.edu .