Every year at the University of Wisconsin, a select group of high-achieving female junior and senior students are given the Troxell-Glicksman Scholarship Awards to honor their achievements.  

The Troxell-Glicksman Awards is the informal name for two separate awards — the Louise Troxell Award and the Edna Kenwood Glicksman Award. This year, UW awarded the scholarships to eight students, including one May 2021 graduate, according to a UW press release.

In order to be given these awards, UW academic staff and faculty nominate a handful of outstanding women who have “demonstrated excellent intellectual ability and curiosity, engaged citizenry, appreciation of the broader world and participation in its affairs,” according to the press release.

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Winner of the Glicksman award Jinan Sous recently graduated in May of 2021 with a degree in Biochemistry and a certificate in Global Health. Sous volunteered frequently in the Hospital Elder Life Program at UnityPoint Meriter to give back to help those who were vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I realized early on how many disparities in health equity occur in the United States. I volunteered whenever I could but I soon realized that becoming a doctor was the most impactful way to help the most people and advocate for patients and community members,” Sous said.

Sous was able to obtain her Emergency Medical Technician license, while being an active member in the American Medical Student Association, Pre-Medical Chapter throughout her time at UW, according to the press release.

Sous said balancing all of these extracurriculars was no easy task, especially while maintaining good grades and good mental health.

“Learning to plan my time, prioritize and delegate were some of the things that helped me manage my workload,” Sous said. “There were points where I realized I was burnt out and in those moments I had to prioritize my own self-care.”

Aside from her work in the medical field, she also served as a tour guide and a tour guide supervisor — which was some of the most important work she did on campus, Sous said.

“As a tour guide supervisor I wanted to ensure that everybody felt welcome on campus,” she said. “That meant creating new training programs for the guides and implementing tour routes that were more accessible to the physically handicapped.”

As Sous continues her journey post-UW, she said she hopes to leave behind an impactful legacy.

“I hope to leave a legacy of equity and inclusion on campus. I want to make sure that students and peers feel like they have the resources they need to be successful,” Sous said.

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Giselle Monette is also one of eight recipients of the 2021 Troxell-Glicksman awards who has impacted UW positively through her achievements.

Monette is a senior at UW majoring in Community and Environmental Sociology and American Indian Studies. Monette was heavily involved in Alpha Pi Omega, a Native American interests sorority.

APiO is described as a “united sisterhood of indigenous women who are committed to each other, our communities, tribes, families, academic excellence and self-empowerment,” according to their website.

Monette was initially introduced to APiO by her friend Faith, the only active member in APiO at the time. Monette started as the chapter delegate for the Multicultural Greek Council and eventually worked her way up to being the President of APiO. She immediately became committed to increasing APiO’s membership.

“Aside from the administrative work, I’m really proud of how I influenced APiO to grow bigger,” Monette said. “I think a lot of my sisters will say some of their best friends are sisters. Creating an environment where lifelong friendships can grow is what was most important to me.”

Before coming to UW and joining APiO, Monette said she never had a strong sense of connection with her community. Since she grew up as an urban Native and rarely visited the community, she lacked a “strong sense of connection” about what it meant to be an Ojibwe woman. 

“I realized throughout college that my parents and relatives had taught me more when I was a kid than I knew,” she said. “But I give credit to Faith, Alpha Pi Omega, and Wunk Sheek for giving me the connection I needed.”

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Monette also hopes to leave a legacy on her community and other indigenous peoples who attend UW.

“I hope I’ve created meaningful connections here that last beyond graduation. I hope the Native kids on campus know they can turn to me for support and advice whenever they need it,” Monette said.