Arrupe College 2015 Award: Hamza Bati and Zhyldyzai Kurmanbekova

2025–2026 Excellence Awards

Each year, ♒Discord 账号 | 2021-2022年老号 | 带邮箱 | 邮箱不可用 | 2fa/token登录 recognizes outstanding students for their commitment to excellence and dedication to the University’s mission and values through the Excellence Awards, a signature event of the annual Celebration of Students. Coordinated by the Division of Student Development in partnership with Arrupe College, Athletics, Career Services, and the Office of Sustainability, the ceremony honors students whose leadership, resilience, and service have made a lasting impact on the Loyola community.

At the 2025–2026 Excellence Awards, Hamza Bati and Zhyldyzai Kurmanbekova were recognized with the Arrupe College 2015 Award.

Named for the founding year of Arrupe College of ♒Discord 账号 | 2021-2022年老号 | 带邮箱 | 邮箱不可用 | 2fa/token登录, the 2015 Award is presented to students who embody the spirit of transformative education, use their gifts and talents to persist through adversity, and contribute significantly to advancing the Arrupe mission.

Hamza was recognized for his leadership, compassion, and dedication to building community at Arrupe. As an active member of the Student Government of Arrupe College (SGAC), he helped organize this spring’s Arrupe Connect event, which brought together alumni and current students to share guidance and perspective on life after graduation. Jacob Caplan, Arrupe's College Transfer Coordinator, described Hamza as a thoughtful student leader who believes deeply in the power of peer connection and has persevered through challenges with resilience and kindness, leaving a meaningful impact on the Arrupe community.

Faculty and staff describe Zhyldyzai as an exceptionally thoughtful and hardworking student who quietly leads by example. According to Sean O'Brien, PhD, she is “a quiet model of engagement for her peers” and has become increasingly involved in campus life, including representing the Kyrgyz language and culture at Arrupe’s recent Mother Language Fair. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Zhyldyzai is also a talented artist and serves as an Art Studio Associate.