First Year Finale is a celebration held at the end of the first year to allow students to reflect on their first-year experiences and recognize outstanding members of the university community who contributed to their first-year success.
We invite all first-year students to celebrate the closing of your first year by joining us for this celebratory event on Thursday, April 24, 2025 from 5-7 p.m. at the Swamp on the South 40. The event includes free BBQ, giveaway items, photos with friends, music, and more.
2024 award winners
| Outstanding Faculty Member: Joe Steensma, Professor of Practice of Public Health & Environmental Studies for the Brown School and Faculty Fellow in the William Greenleaf & Eliot (WGE) Residential Community |
| Outstanding College Writing Instructor: Kasey Grady |
| Outstanding Academic Adviser: Peter Monahan, Director of the College Writing Program & Teaching Professor in College Writing for the College of Arts and Letters |
| Outstanding Residential Advisor (RA): Andrew Rudolph, Brookings Residential Community |
| Outstanding WashU Student Associate (WUSA): Maria Dilbeck, Kermode Bears |
| Outstanding Dining Services Staff: Deborah Clark |
| Outstanding Housekeeping Staff: Draga Orescanin |
| Outstanding Mechanic: Rick Keune |
Past award winners
- 2020: Dr. Jill Stratton
- 2019: Jeffery Matthew, Professor of Practice in Performing Arts
- 2018: Andrew Reeves, Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies for the Department of Political Science
- 2017: Melanie Osborn, Assistant Dean, Engineering Student Services
- 2016: Kris Kerth, Director of Four-Year Advising, College of Arts & Sciences
- 2015: Megan Daschbach, Lecturer in Department of Chemistry
- 2014: Professor Brian Carpenter, Associate Professor of Psychology and Faculty Fellow in Eliot Residential College
- 2013: Professor Joseph Loewenstein, Professor of English
- 2012: Professor Joseph Schraibman, Professor of Romance Languages
- 2011: Professor Ian MacMullen, Faculty Fellow for Brookings Residential College
- 2010: Delores K. Kennedy, Associate Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences
- 2020: Miriam Silberman
- 2019: Rachel Wang
- 2018: Nathanial Rodriguez
- 2017: Emma Reusch
- 2016: Nathaniel Bernstein
- 2015: Sara Miller
- 2020: Koenig 3
- 2019: Park 4
- 2017: Park 1
- 2016: Dardick 2
- 2015: Rubelmann 2
- 2014: Beaumont 3
- 2013: Lien 2
- 2012: Beaumont 3
- 2023: Audra Hubbell, Senior Lecturer in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts; Karl Schaefer, Lecturer in Mathematics
- 2022: Karl Schaefer, Lecturer in Mathematics
- 2021: Jody Doran, Senior Lecturer in Spanish
- 2020: Ke Nie, Lecturer in Chinese
- 2019: Wei Wang, Senior Lecturer in Chinese
- 2018: Jeffery Matthews, Professor of Practice in Performing Arts
- 2017: Dr. William Wallace, Professor of Art History and Archaelogy
- 2016: Dr. Colin Burnett, Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies
- 2015: Dr. Kasey Wagoner, Professor of Physics
- 2014: Dr. William Bubelis, Assistant Professor of Classics
- 2013: Dr. Ron Cytron, Computer Science and Engineering
- 2012: Dr. Durai Sundaramoorthi, Olin Business School
- 2011: Dr. Claude Bernard, Professor of Physics
- 2010: Dr. Richard Loomis, Associate Professor of Chemistry
- 2023: Michael Sanders
- 2022: Tarrell Campbell
- 2021: Ian Clark
- 2020: Beth Windle
- 2019: Deanna Benjamin
- 2018: Kate Bloomquist
- 2017: Erik Strobl
- 2016: Kasey Grady
- 2015: Dustin Iler
- 2014: Eileen G’Sell
- 2023: Corine Jones, TRIO Academic Services Coordinator
- 2022: John Early, Senior Lecturer, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts; Undergraduate Academic Advising Coordinator
- 2021: Anthony Smith, Assistant Dean & Academic Coordinator, College of Arts and Sciences
- 2020: Kris Campa, Assistant Dean, McKelvey School of Engineering
- 2019: Matt Devoll, Assistant Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences
- 2018: Dr. Joan Downey, Assistant Dean in the College of Arts & Sciences and Director of the University Scholars Program in Medicine
- 2017: Georgia Binnington, Associate Dean of Students, Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
- 2016: Kris Kerth, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
- 2015: Dirk Killen, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
- 2014: Jami Ake, Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
- 2013: Dirk Killen, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
- 2012: Jennifer Romney, Assistant Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
- 2011: Raymond Arvidson, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor
- 2023: Zoe Al-Tawiti, Wayman Crow Residential College
- 2022: Cassie Jeng, Park and Mudd Residential College
- 2021: Cameron Tate, Eliot
- 2020: Eudora Anyagafu and Ali Elganzouri, Eliot
- 2019: John Almeida and Cheryl Mensah, William Greenleaf Eliot (WGE)
- 2018: Gabby Bloom and Jessica Qian, Lee/Beaumont
- 2017: Grigg Schneider and Rishi Jaswaney, Brookings
- 2016: Tobi Alawode and Stephen Trudeau, Park
- 2015: Divya Rayapati, Eliot
- 2014: Rahul Aggarwal and Hilary Brownstead, Rubelmann
- 2013: Ethan Goldstein, Lee
- 2012: Shanet Stefanos, Park
- 2011: Taz Ahmed, Eliot
- 2010: Whitney Parnell
- 2023: Andrew Rudolph, Grizzly Bears
- 2022: Aminah Mostafa, Moon Bears
- 2021: Emille Taylor, Bear Cubs
- 2020: Spencer Derthick, Emily Gerber, and Nathaniel Holmes, Danforth
- 2019: Keishi Foecke, Chipo Raranje, and Ben Moore, Shandeling, Dauten, and Rutledge (JKL)
- 2018: Eddie Xie and Sarah Thornton, Danforth
- 2017: Nathaniel Bernstein and Mesha Bisarya, Umrath
- 2016: Daniel Knudsen and Shaarada Srivatsa, Umrath
- 2015: Adam Hoffman and Neena Wang, Danforth
- 2014: Julia Burns and Danny Sales, Lien
- 2013: Divya Rayapati, Lien
- 2012: Lori Schlatter, Lien
- 2011: Lydeah Negro, Rutledge
- 2010: Austin Wilmot, Umrath
- 2023: Donna Grice
- 2022: Lillie Westbrooks
- 2021: Connie Johnson
- 2020: David Graden
- 2019: Loretta Smith
- 2018: Dorothy Chandler
- 2017: Gil Grigsby
- 2016: Bill Jackson
- 2015: Deshawn Andrews
- 2014: Arthur Curtis
- 2013: Dorothy Chandler
- 2012: Phillip Southerland
- 2011: Angela Ford
- 2010: Boyd Davis
- 2023: Housekeeping: Rafija Begovic, HIG Residential College; Mechanic: Rich Bartholome, WGE Residential College
- 2022: Housekeeping: Angela Mitchell, WGE Residential College; Mechanic: Rich Bartholome, WGE Residential College
- 2021: Houskeeping: Mario Harvey, Shandeling, Dauten, and Rutledge (JKL); Mechanic: Yondell Bass, Liggett/Koenig (LK)
- 2020: Housekeeping: Christina Newble, Umrath; Mechanic: Ken Pinnington, South 40
- 2019: Housekeeping: Amira Petonjic, Lee/Beaumont; Mechanic- Gene Russell, Park & Mudd
- 2018: Housekeeping: Fadila Becic, William Greenleaf Eliot (WGE); Mechanic- Rich Bartholome, William Greenleaf Eliot (WGE)
- 2017: Theresa McGeehan, Dardick
- 2016: Fatima Muratovic
- 2015: Draga Orescanin
- 2014: Yondell Bass
- 2013: Amra Salihovic, Umrath
- 2011: Jeff Grim, Residential College Director for Liggett/Koenig
- 2010: Dr. Harvey Fields, Assistant Director, Academic Programs, Cornerstone