Presentation Remarks:

“Romero, this past year you wrote that your focus in college has always been ‘to have the best academic experience, while giving back to the university through leadership and service, both on and off campus.’ That focus became your preeminent goal, and you have achieved that goal on a high plateau of character, integrity, and moral authority that people ordinarily associate with a person of much more advanced age and experience. As a Posse Chicago Scholar you came to the College with a record of achievement in academics and leadership, and at Denison you have diligently persisted in both those pursuits as a Martin Luther King Scholar and campus leader. You have pursued your scholarship as a psychology major and a departmental research assistant.  In 2007 you were honored with a Ronald E. McNair Summer Research Scholarship at Michigan State University, where you presented your work on the psychological and academic effects of stereotype threat among college students at MSU and at Purdue University.

“You also have been omnipresent on campus in numerous leadership roles, serving as Resident Assistant since 2006 as a sought-after counselor of students, as class Co-Governor since 2005, and as member of many committees, including the DCGA Residence Life Committee, Finance Committee, and Senior Class Contributions Committee.

“But most people on campus recognize you through your high-impact role as President of the Black Student Union. During and ever since the events of last semester, when our community was challenged by acts of intolerance, you stepped forward with a towering presence, a calm intelligence, and a clear vision of what needed to be done. And while you never wavered in your condemnation of these acts, you led the students away from potentially destructive reactions and toward civil discourse, constructive goal-seeking, and positive reconciliation.

“Romero, yours is a three-part journey on the road of leadership — before you came to Denison, while at Denison, and most certainly after you leave Denison. As you pursue your Ph.D. in counseling psychology at Indiana State University, please carry with you the knowledge that Denison is supremely proud to call itself your alma mater.”

Student Achievements:

Distinguished Leadership Award; Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement - Summer Research; Black Student Union - President; Office of Campus & Residential Life - Resident Assistant; Denison Campus Governance Association - Governor, Residential Life Committee, Finance Committee; Who's Who Among Students In American Universities and Colleges; B.A.A. Scholarship Award; Ronald E. McNair Scholar - Award of Excellence; Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship; Dr. Martin Luther King Leadership Award; Posse Foundation Scholar; Senior Class Committee - Co-Chair; Humane Society; St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry; American Red Cross