Diane Sierpina Award for Emerging Leadership in Youth Justice Reform
In January, we were delighted to announce the first recipient of the Diane Sierpina Award for Emerging Leadership in Youth Justice Reform. The award was established to recognize a graduate, undergraduate, part-time, or full-time student engaged in a juvenile justice course, club, or internship, showcasing exceptional passion and dedication to youth justice reform.
Alicia Lind-Windham (they/them), pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, received a nomination from Dr. Janet Garcia-Hallett, Ph.D., professor at the University of New Haven who shares,
“Alicia’s extensive service portfolio, critical thinking skills about social injustices, and caring engagement with underrepresented and minoritized students make them an excellent candidate.” Dr. Garcia-Hallet continues her recommendation by stating, “Given Alicia’s personal experiences growing up, they wholeheartedly believe that juveniles should not be criticized as being “at-risk” but recognized as being “at-promise” (in line with Victor Rios’ argument in his juvenile justice activism). Alicia has used their platform as the Vice-President of the university’s chapter of the NAACP to provide our students with valuable information about the juvenile justice system and the school-to-prison pipeline more specifically, which is a topic that is very close to Alicia’s heart.”