“You are the men and women of great distinction in your class. You’ve been recognized by your classmates and by members of the faculty and administration as the men and women who set the tone and bring light and life to the campus,” Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, said in the Rose Hill awards video, addressing award winners and nominees from the University Church. “You’ve distinguished yourselves in the way in which you’ve rolled with all the challenges that have beset your class and the whole world in the last two months. So I thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all you that have done for Fordham. You are a gift to Fordham.” 

The yearly awards ceremonies recognize outstanding student leaders in Fordham’s campus communities. Every year, students are selected from hundreds of nominees to win awards in several categories. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the award presentations took place online. On the evening of May 14, the Office for Student Involvement at Rose Hill posted an hour-long YouTube video featuring speeches from Father McShane; Christopher Rodgers, assistant vice president and dean of students at Rose Hill; Olivia Quartell, executive president of United Student Government at Rose Hill; Roxanne De La Torre, director of campus and community leadership at the Center of Community Engaged Learning; and student winners.

In video messages, students reflected on their journey from freshman to senior year and how Fordham helped them grow and empower others. 

“I am so lucky and so honored to have been a part of this Fordham community. I passed Fordham twice a day every weekday on my way to and from high school, and I never imagined that I would call Fordham my home,” said Ashley Qamar, winner of a Senior Leadership Award, in the Rose Hill video. 

The Rose Hill ceremony also introduced a new award: the Winton Medal for Stewardship of a Student Organization, given to a graduating senior in recognition of their service to a student organization. The medal, presented by the Office of the Dean of Students, is named after David H. Winton, GABELLI ’94, an alumnus who died on 9/11. 

“David exemplified the devotion to the University, independent energy, and wry wit that make the best student leaders,” said Rodgers. 

The virtual ceremony was bittersweet, he said, but still a special milestone. 

“We will miss you, desperately,” he said in the Rose Hill video. “And after the awards [ceremony], we’ll leave this evening in hope that we will see you again as you move to bigger and better things, just as we said you would, four years ago, on that lawn at dusk, lit only by your candle and those of your thousands of new friends.” 

On April 28, student nominees, faculty, and staff attended a virtual awards ceremony for Lincoln Center on Zoom. Father McShane delivered an opening speech; afterward, audience members saw the names of more than 90 student nominees on a Google slideshow, and awards were presented to seven students. 

“In closing, I want to thank the students—those who received nominations and those who were selected for one of tonight’s awards,” Keith Eldridge, assistant vice president and dean of students at Lincoln Center, said at the end of the Zoom call. “The past few weeks have not been the end of your Fordham experience that any of you expected or would have hoped for, but we hope the leadership award event helped you remember the positive impact you made and the lasting mark you leave behind in the Lincoln Center community. I am confident that you will continue to make a positive impact as you embark on your next steps and your new beginnings after graduation.”

Senior Leadership Award Winners at Rose Hill: 

Senior Leadership Award: 

• Kaidya Adames, GABELLI 
• Emma Budd, FCRH
• Peyton Hayes, FCRH
• Jacklyn Onody, GABELLI
• Ashley Qamar, GABELLI 
• Nathaniel Singh, FCRH
• Kaylee Wong, GABELLI

Reverend Joseph P. Fitzpatrick Award

• Mia Beverly, FCRH

The Dorothy Day Peacemaker Award for Leadership in Social Action: 

• Alexa Valentin, FCRH

Winton Medal for Stewardship of a Student Organization

• Aislinn Keely, FCRH

Senior Leadership Award Winners at Lincoln Center: 

Senior Leadership Award: 

• Paolo J. Estrella, GABELLI
• Kylie Ford, FCLC
• Mahbuba Hossain, FCLC
• Finley A. Peay, FCLC

The Dorothy Day Peacemaker Award for Leadership in Social Action: 

• Julianna K. Walchuk, FCLC

Journalism Award

• Courtney M. Brogle, FCLC

St. Alberto Hurtado, S.J., Mission, Faith, and Justice Award 

• Catherine A. Fernando, FCLC

“It goes without saying that Elliott’s family and loved ones will be in our prayers this week,” said Joseph M. McShane, SJ, president of Fordham. “They have sustained a terrible loss, and our hearts are broken for them, and for Elliott. I ask that you be especially kind to one another, and to yourselves, this week, as we come together as a community to mourn our losses.”

A memorial service in Copeland’s honor will be held at Our Lady’s Chapel (University Church lower level) on the Rose Hill campus on June 23 at 6:30 p.m.

“We will support Elliott’s family as best we can in their we can in their grief, and will likewise do everything in our power to help his friends and loved ones at Fordham cope with his loss,” Father McShane said.

A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Copeland was a 2013 graduate of Ravenscroft School. At Fordham he was majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance. He was active in several organizations on campus, including the Fordham Finance Society and Alternative Investments Club.

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic event. Every Gabelli School student is truly one of our own—a member of our school family,” said Donna Rapaccioli, PhD, dean of the business school. “Elliott, his family members, and his friends, at Fordham and elsewhere, are in our thoughts and prayers.”

Copeland was an avid rugby player and was a captain for Fordham’s rugby football club. In an outpouring of grief on social media, his teammates described his “pure joy for life” and his generous presence to friends and acquaintances.

“He was always so, so genuinely nice to me whenever our paths crossed,” said Kyle Morton, a rising junior at Fordham College at Rose Hill and a fellow Raleigh native. “It’s abundantly clear tonight how many lives he touched both in Raleigh and at Fordham.”

Copeland aspired to work in the financial industry, possibly in corporate finance. He was an intern at Tapad, a New York-based marketing technology firm, and held previous internships at deVere Group, Campbell Alliance, and Empire Wealth Strategies.

In addition to achieving much both in the classroom and on the rugby field, Copeland volunteered regularly. He spent four years as a volunteer with the Special Olympics, and for three consecutive years he joined Reach Mission Trips, a nonprofit organization that ran annual, weeklong service trips to low-income communities around the United States.

“We were simply devastated to hear the news this weekend, and have joined Elliott’s coaches and teammates on the rugby team in mourning his passing,” said Christopher Rodgers, dean of students at Rose Hill.

“He was clearly much loved by the men on the squad, and our staff will be reaching out to them and others who knew Elliott to offer support and our prayers.”

His funeral service will be held Friday, June 24, at 2 p.m.  
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, 1520 Canterbury Road, Raleigh, NC 27608.
A reception will follow at North Ridge Country Club in Raleigh.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Ravenscroft Scholarship Funds or the Susan G. Komen fund. 

Staff from Counseling and Psychological Services, Campus Ministry, and the Dean of Students Office will be standing by this week to help all who are grappling with Copeland’s loss.

The Counseling Center can be reached directly at:

Lincoln Center: (212) 636-6225
Rose Hill: (718) 817-3725 

Campus Ministry can be reached at:

Lincoln Center: (212) 636-6267
Rose Hill: (718) 817-4500

Students may also contact a resident assistant or resident director at any time to request assistance or to talk.