And The Winner Is... Student Leaders of 2019 - Johns Hopkins Nursing Magazine

Students at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing work hard and are dedicated, not just to Johns Hopkins, but to the greater Baltimore community. A special few truly epitomize what it means to be a “Hopkins Nurse;” they go above and beyond in their commitment to impacting the world at large.

In effort to recognize these students’ special contributions, we hosted the second annual student leaders’ dinner on January 23, 2019. The awards, and winners, are as follows.

The 2019 Humanitarian Award: Meredith Kerr, Meredith Zoltick, and Julia Cohn

Meredith Kerr, Julia Cohn, and Meredith Zoltick are the leaders for Nursing Students for Harm Reduction. They have successfully offered numerous and very well attended Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution each semester. They have planned panel discussions in collaboration with the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition, and have worked tirelessly to reduce stigma for those with substance use disorder. Meredith Kerr also won the 2018 Humanitarian Award.

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The 2019 Unsung Hero Award: Tom Winkler

Tom is a member of the Executive Board for the Nursing Student Senate and functions as VP of Finance, but most of his leadership happens behind the scenes. Tom is always willing to help out at School of Nursing events and can be found at alumni weekend, an Evening with the Stars, new student orientation, and more. He is always willing to go the extra mile and stay an extra hour.

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The 2019 Innovation Award: Alexa Goldman and Kelly Polhemus

Alexa Goldman and Kelly Polhemus are the Leaders of the Incarceration and Health Justice Initiative, and were instrumental in getting the School of Nursing involved in this bi-school group with the School of Medicine. They have offered a panel series called “Behind Bars” with formerly incarcerated persons, a discussion with women’s health care providers that work with people who are incarcerated, a discussion with Delegate Mary Washington, and they have been involved in consistent community outreach and advocacy with groups including Prisons to Professionals, the Maryland Prisoners’ Rights Coalition, Reproductive Justice Inside, Out for Justice, and the Identity Clinic.

The 2019 Student Leader of the Year Award: Helena Addison

Dean Patricia Davidson and Student Leader of the Year Helena Addison

Helena Addison serves at the communications director of the Black Student Nurses’ Association, but that is not nearly all that she does. Helena mentors ethnic minority students, has served the Baltimore community through health promotion and community service activities, and served as a liaison between faculty, administration, and prospective students. She creates opportunities for all voices to be heard and appreciated.

Helena works as a valued member of Dr. Kamila Alexander’s research team. Dr. Alexander said, “When I met Helena, I was intrigued by her initiative, academic achievements, and research experiences. She is driven, passionate, and intellectually astute.”

Helena wrote two blogs that appear in the Best Blogs of 2018