Tamara Ellerbe, a senior at Manor College in Jenkintown, received the college’s most prestigious award during a ceremony on January 25.
The award is presented each year to a Manor College student who exhibits a “responsible lifestyle evidenced through reverence, respect and service,” the College said. The medal is the highest honor for a student at the college.
Finalists were nominated by faculty and staff at Manor College during the fall semester.
“Being the first Black woman to win the Mother Josaphat Medal carries a profound sense of pride not just for myself, but for a broader audience,” Ellerbe, who is studying Human Services, said. “I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude for receiving this award. I am thankful to Manor College. They have opened so many doors and opportunities for me. Thank you for making me feel like I belong here.”
“Tamara is always the first student to greet a new person as they walk by her in the Dining Hall,” Janeen Smith, Director of Dining Services at Manor College, said. “Since I joined the team at Manor, Tamara has given her time and talents at many events. She is always happy, willing to help when asked and never negative. She is a great representation of the type of student who leads by example.”
Ellerbe is a Presidential Ambassador and is often found giving tours around campus to incoming students. One professor who nominated Ellerbe for the award said that her presence on campus goes beyond her official Presidential Ambassador capacity.
“She knows that people need help and she wants to be the one to serve them,” the nominator wrote. “Tamara is someone who always asks the question, ‘what can I help you with?’ What is most amazing to me is that she is known by the other Manor students as someone they can turn to. She has helped multiple students this year find outfits for job interviews from our career closet and is often seen cleaning up in the dining hall or jumping in to help during an event.”
A second nominator wrote, “Despite not using the bus herself, when she heard that SEPTA may take away the stop for commuter students, she took action and took up a petition to try to stop them from taking away the stop. She exhibits caring behavior, always making visitors feel welcome or asking how another student is doing with their day. She truly goes above and beyond for others.”
Natasha Moore, a sophomore at Manor and an Elkins Park native, was also named a finalist for the award.
For more on Ellerbe, you can watch below:
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Photos: Manor College