Loveland Student Finalist for Top Award at UW

Molly Markow, an art major from Loveland, Colo., was among five finalists for the Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award as the University of Wyoming's outstanding graduating woman.

Callie Berman, of Boulder, Colo., was this year’s Rosemarie Martha Spitaleri Award recipient, and Josh Messer, of Cheyenne, received the Tobin Award, honoring the outstanding graduating man.

The Spitaleri award, established in 1964, recognizes students for exhibiting the finest leadership, academic integrity and citizenship qualities. Other finalists were McKensie Harris, Laramie; Lindsay White, Douglas; and Hannah Young, Cheyenne. Students were honored at a recent luncheon.

To be considered for the Spitaleri and Tobin awards, students were judged on academic excellence and achievement; contributions and service to UW; participation and leadership in co-curricular activities; and demonstrated character and citizenship.

“The past four years have allowed me to grow immensely, both personally and professionally,” Markow says.

She says studying art taught her much more beyond technical processes.

“It has also taught me the importance of community, self-direction, creative problem-solving and the larger cultural implications and importance of visual culture and creativity,” Markow says. “I believe that, without the experiences and opportunities that I have had at the University of Wyoming, I would not be where I am today.”

Nominators wrote letters of support for each of the students.

“Molly distinguished herself with insightful maturity. I can easily say that Molly Markow is in the top 5 percent of students that I’ve had in my eight years at UW,” one person wrote. “As I would encourage any young scholar to do, Molly has questioned her educational goals since arriving at the university.”

Another added, “Molly is an advisee, a dynamic current student in my classes, a mature presence in the Department of Art and a leader within a service-focused contingent of the larger UW student community. A student who sets a high bar for themselves and others is welcome in any class. Molly is one of those students.”