Nine SDSU students honored with 2024 Quest for the Best award
Students honored for exceptional academics & community service. Nominations include impactful mentors.
Nine San Diego State University students have received the 2024 Quest for the Best award, recognizing high-achieving SDSU students for outstanding performance in academics and community service.
The annual Quest for the Best Vice Presidential Student Service Award has celebrated student achievement for three decades in four key areas: academic excellence, student service and activities, community service and leadership development.
Winners are asked to nominate a faculty or staff member who had a significant and positive impact on their personal growth and development during their time at SDSU.
The 2024 honorees and their respective faculty/staff honorees are:
Austin Barber
Senior, Business Administration and Political Science; minor, Honors Interdisciplinary Studies and Leadership
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Janice Dils, Associated Students Government Affairs Assistant Director
Maya Elden
Senior, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences; minor, Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Maureen Paolini, Department of Biology professor
Derrick Herrera
Senior, Political Science and American Indian Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Benjamin Gonzalez O’Brien, Political Science professor
Dennise Juarez Aguilar
Senior, Public Administration with a minor in Interdisciplinary Studies
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Valerie Stahl, School of Public Affairs assistant professor of city planning
Leanne Locano
Senior, Public Health; Minor, Honors Interdisciplinary Studies.
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Stacey Sinclair, The Weber Honors College director
Cesar Lopez
Senior, Business Management with a Specialization in Entrepreneurship; Minor. Leadership
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Chelsea Lombrozo, Glazer Center for Leadership & Service assistant director
Clara Smith
Senior, Political Science; Double minor Sustainability and Spanish; Certificate. Public Law
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Claudia Woodard, College of Arts and Letters Spanish lecturer
Brandon Wells
Senior, Mechanical Engineering
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Theresa Garcia; College of Engineering assistant dean for student affairs
Ingrid Yu
Junior, Psychology; Minor, Spanish
Faculty/Staff Honoree: Koko Nishi, Counseling & Psychological Services therapist
