Faculty members of the College of Education nominate students who they believe display a superior level of scholarship within their departments and programs; offer their time and service to the College, campus, or community; and show promise as potential leaders in the education field.

Introducing the 2025 Outstanding Student Medal winners:

Destiny Williams-Dobosz is this year's doctoral degree Outstanding Student Medal recipient. In April, Destiny successfully delivered her Ph.D. dissertation defense in Educational Psychology—specifically, in the Cognitive Science of Teaching and Learning Division.

In 2019, Destiny completed her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. As a first generation college graduate, she began graduate school at Illinois just weeks later as a Summer Predoctoral Institute Fellow. And now, Destiny is the first in her family to have pursued and earned a graduate degree.

During her graduate student experience, Destiny has used interdisciplinary, anti-deficit approaches and quantitative and qualitative methods to explore various psychological and contextual influences on students' learning, development and wellbeing, especially those in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. As a scholar-advocate, a particular construct her research has revolved around is help-seeking—specifically, how students request or give help depending on the situation, context, prior experiences and cultural values—and the socio-emotional impacts of help-seeking for students within higher education.

“Writing and research bring me joy,” says Destiny. “When we write, we are in control and honor our ancestors and future descendants. When we write, we can imagine new worlds and possibilities.”

Destiny’s engagement across campus and within the greater Champaign-Urbana area is extensive. During her Ph.D. program Destiny served on the campus’ Students Advising on Graduate Education (SAGE) student board. She has mentored and advised peers through application review, scholarly counseling, and group presentations about her own academic journey and research findings. Destiny volunteers as a pen pal in the Letters to a Pre-Scientist program, writing to fifth to tenth-grade students with the goal of humanizing STEM professionals, demystifying STEM career pathways, and inspiring all students to explore a future in STEM. Additionally, as a new mother, Destiny co-organized a series of workshops centering Black mothers on campus and in central Illinois.

“It is essential for me to embody the understanding that people of all backgrounds and identities are capable and belong in higher education,” she says.

In her nomination of Destiny for the award, Educational Psychology Professor Michelle Perry said, “Destiny Williams-Dobosz is one of the most outstanding graduate students I have known in my 37 years as a professor, both at the University of Michigan and the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. She is someone who has and will continue to conduct cutting-edge and carefully conducted research and make a difference by ensuring that what is learned from the research is both disseminated in journal publications and applied to impact students’ lives in positive ways.”

Sana Zeeshan is the 2025 master’s degree Outstanding Student Medal recipient, graduating with her Ed.M. in Early Childhood Special Education. Originally from Pakistan, she has navigated diverse educational landscapes, drawing from her background to advocate for early intervention and inclusive practices in multicultural communities. Sana’s bachelor’s degree is electrical engineering with a specialization in telecommunication.

Sana’s passion for early childhood education stems from the firsthand experience of being a parent introduced to the power of early intervention for her own children. She began volunteering for CU Early, a parent support and home visiting program. This quickly led to working in educational settings within the Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana USD 116 districts, along with homeschooling and private school environments. And since embarking on her master’s degree program, Sana has co-taught, led full classrooms, developed individualized supports for children with disabilities, and conducted assessments to guide instructional planning.

“For many of us, this journey has included moments of adversity where resilience became our greatest strength,” says Sana. “Each challenging experience has taught us valuable lessons, sharing us into compassionate, reflective, and effective educators and service providers.”

As a research assistant in the Department of Special Education, Sana has presented her research at prestigious conferences and is a coauthor on a manuscript under review and several in preparation. Her contributions have resulted in multiple scholarships and travel awards.

Sana actively participates in community initiatives aimed at supporting families with young children who require critical services. She is a member of the Birth to Five Family Council (Region 9) and translates educational resources into Urdu for South Asian families in the CU Early program. Sana is a master’s student representative in the Special Education Graduate Student Association, coordinating community-wide professional development opportunities for fellow students.

“The foundation of my work is the unwavering belief that all children deserve access to high-quality, developmentally appropriate education,” says Sana. “I aspire to continue advocating for early intervention policies and empowering families to be active participants in their children’s education.”

“Sana is an emerging leader because of how she centers the strengths, needs, and experiences of students with disabilities and their families in her educational practice,” said nominator Jessica Hardy, assistant professor in Special Education. “She helps families understand their children’s rights in the U.S. Her work in the community has been recognized. I am excited to see how she will further impact the community and field when she graduates.”

Bilkisu Tariq is this year’s bachelor’s degree Outstanding Student Medal recipient. Bilkisu graduates this May with her degree in Elementary Education from the Department of Curriculum & Instruction.

Born and raised in Naperville, Bilkisu’s commitment to her coursework has earned her several accolades including consistent participation in the James Scholars program and the Chancellor’s Scholar program, and inclusion on the Dean’s List.

Bilkisu engaged in an impressive amount of research and scholarship as an undergraduate student. She presented at the Undergraduate Research Symposium about her original research that revealed bias in her high school’s world culture’s course. During her sophomore year, Bilkisu completed a study abroad program in Namibia working with a German run youth organization. She was a co-presenter at the College of Education’s Graduate Student Conference in 2023, where the presentation “Decolonizing Study Abroad Through an Auto-Ethnographic Lens,” stemmed from her experience in Namibia. Perhaps most impressively, as an undergraduate Bilkisu was a co-presenter at the 2022 AERA Annual Meeting, a conference almost exclusively attended by graduate students and faculty.

“Passion is not about words, it’s about action,” says Bilkisu. “We have the power not just to nurture changemakers, but to embody change ourselves.” As an undergraduate student active in the community around her, it’s clear she truly lives this belief.

For part of her EDUC 201 class, Bilkisu worked with DREAAM (Driven to Reach Excellence and Academic Achievement), a community-based organization focused on reducing the achievement gap. Eager to continue working with youth, she coached their spring soccer camp for two years and volunteered at various DREAAM events. Bilkisu also found time to partner with local groups IMAGINE STEM and CHIS&E and co-taught STEM lessons to second and third graders and their families.

Her award nominator, teaching assistant professor Mari Altshuler, says, “Bilkisu has shared that she believes all people deserve to live in a world where they are seen, accepted, and embraced for everything that makes them unique. In teaching and learning with Bilkisu, it does not take long to see that she is committed to changing the world, and I am confident that her initiative and drive will continue to lead her to do so.”

Bilkisu describes it this way. “The fire inside me sparked by humanity, kindled by passion, and ignited by love is the epitome of what I learned during my time at the College of Education,” she says. “Teaching sets me up to be a forever learner because each child that walks into my classroom and into my heart has knowledge and strengths I have yet to see, new perspectives and understandings I have yet to learn.”

Congratulations to our 2025 Outstanding Student Medal recipients!