Distinguished seniors recognized with Yale College’s top prizes

Eleven members of the Yale College Class of 2025 who distinguished themselves in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in their communities were honored with top prizes today in one of Class Day’s most treasured traditions. The prizes were awarded by Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis and other Yale leaders.

The recipients of the top five academic prizes will have the privilege of carrying an official flag or banner during the Yale Commencement procession on May 19. The winner of the Warren Memorial Prize carries the American flag. The winner of the Russell Henry Chittenden Prize carries the Connecticut flag. The winner of the Arthur Twining Hadley Prize carries the Yale College banner. The winners of the Sudler Prize carry the president’s banners. Finally, the winner of the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize carries the Yale University banner.

The names of the prizewinners, and their citations, are listed below, in the order of their presentation.

The Nellie Pratt Elliot Award

Awarded to a senior woman whose excellence on the field of play, and in her life at Yale, best represents the highest ideals of American sportsmanship and Yale tradition.

Mia Levy, Silliman College

“Mia Levy’s rowing coach has called her a ‘once in a lifetime talent.’ She is the current Yale women’s crew team captain who is a three-time NCAA championship participant; a 2022 NCAA champion in the 2nd varsity 8; the 2022-23 USA Rowing ‘Under 23 Athlete of the Year’; 2023-24 All Ivy; and a two-time world champion for the U.S.

“Off the water Mia is an English major who is co-president of the Yale Athlete Ally chapter and a peer tutor at the Poorvu Center. ‘In my 27 years with Yale women’s crew,’ says her coach, ‘no student athlete has embodied what it means to be a Yale athlete better than Mia Levy.’

“In recognition of her achievement as a rower, her inspiring work ethic in a demanding sport, and for her consummate leadership on and off the water, Yale Athletics is proud and honored to present the Nellie P. Elliott Award to Mia Levy.”

The William Neely Mallory Award

Awarded to a senior man whose excellence on the field of play, and in his life at Yale, best represents the highest ideals of American sportsmanship and Yale tradition.

Bes Mbeng, Pauli Murray College

“Bez Mbeng’s basketball coach says Bez is ‘the fiercest and most dominating defensive player I have ever coached.’ His accolades in helping his team to three Ivy League championships and three NCAA tournaments are amazing: He is a three-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year; a three-time Ivy League tournament champion; a two-time Ivy League regular season champion; the all-time leader in steals at Yale — and the 2025 Ivy League Player of the Year.

“On the court, Bez is the first person ever in the Ivy League to win Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. He is also a team player, always making up for his teammates’ mistakes on the defensive end and always giving them credit for any success. Off the court, Bez has over 100 hours of community service in New Haven schools.

“In recognition of his gifts and achievements as an athlete, his qualities as a quintessential teammate, and his buoyant community spirit, Yale Athletics is delighted to present the William Neely Mallory Award to Bez Mbeng.”

The Nakanishi Prize

Awarded to two graduating seniors who, while maintaining high academic achievement, have provided exemplary leadership in enhancing race or ethnic relations at Yale College.

Ethan Estrada, Pauli Murray College

“Ethan Estrada graduates with a B.A. in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and Education Studies, with distinction in Ethnicity, Race and Migration. Ethan’s dedication to building and strengthening ethnic relations is expansive, personal, and deep. Since their first year at Yale, they have been a vital presence at La Casa Cultural, first as a Student Coordinator and later as a Peer Liaison. Ethan has created community and connection through events like poetry jams, ‘Baking & Bonding,’ and their role on the Executive Board of MEChA de Yale. They re-ignited De Colores, the Latine queer affiliate group, transforming it into a vibrant space that bridges racial, ethnic, and LGBTQ+ identities.

“Ethan’s passion for poetry and the written word is evident in their role as Editor-in-Chief of Broad Recognition, a feminist publication. Next year, Ethan will be pursuing a doctoral program at the University of California, Berkeley in English and Creative Writing. As Head Counselor for Cultural Connections, Ethan has fostered cross-cultural understanding among incoming students. They have consistently raised critical issues of discrimination and inequity, generating important conversations and fostering reconciliation.

“For their extraordinary service, leadership, and welcoming presence, Yale College is proud to award the Nakanishi Prize to Ethan Estrada.”

Kennedy Odiboh, Berkeley College

“Kennedy Odiboh graduates with a double major in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and African American Studies. Over the past four years, Kennedy has committed himself to creating and enhancing community at Yale. Through his roles as First-year Liaison and Head Student Assistant at the House, and through his service on the executive boards of the Yale Black Men’s Union, Yale Model African Union, and the Yale Association for African Peace and Development, Kennedy has been a mentor and guide for other students across Yale. As President and Executive Advisor to the Yale Nigerian Students Association, Kennedy led initiatives to connect students across the Nigerian diaspora. After devastating floods in the Niger Delta, he raised over $2000 (over two million Naira) for relief efforts through local fund and awareness raising efforts.

“His care for others extends beyond campus, as a tutor for incarcerated women through the Yale Prison Education Initiative and a harm reduction advocate at the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen. Kennedy will continue his interest in healthcare at the Yale School of Public Health as a master’s student studying health policy.

“For his extraordinary service and leadership, Yale College proudly awards the Nakanishi Prize to Kennedy Odiboh.”

The James Andrew Haas Prize

Awarded to that member of the senior class in Yale College whose breadth of intellectual achievement, strength of character, and fundamental humanity shall be adjudged by the faculty to have provided leadership for his or her fellow students, inspiring in them a love of learning and concern for others.

Nyché Andrew, Branford College

“A fearless historian of the Federal Indian Boarding School program in Alaska, Nyché graduates with a B.A./M.A. in Political Science and a certificate in Education Studies. Her scholarship, advocacy, and leadership have transformed Yale, helping to center Native and Indigenous ways of knowing in both academic and community life. She has worked to expand the presence of Native foods in Yale’s dining halls and played a pivotal role in establishing the new certificate in Native and Indigenous Studies, launching in 2027.

“As a Mellon-Mays Bouchet fellow, Nyché has conducted groundbreaking research on Indigenous holdings across dozens of U.S. institutions, creating a foundation for future scholars to build upon. Her work is not only intellectually rigorous but deeply rooted in care — for her community, for history, and for the future. Nyché’s presence at Yale has been a source of joy, strength, and inspiration. She has nurtured community with warmth and generosity, and her leadership has left an indelible mark on the university.

“For her intellectual achievement, strength of character, and fundamental humanity, Yale College is proud to bestow the James Andrew Haas Memorial Prize upon Nyché Skavaq Sivulluiqti Tyme Andrew.”

The Warren Memorial Prize

Awarded to the senior majoring in the humanities who ranks highest in scholarship.

Oliver Huston, Trumbull College

“Oliver Huston graduates summa cum laude with distinction in his Classics major, along with an Advanced Language Certificate in Russian and a master’s degree in Classics. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year, Oliver has completed 41 credits at Yale, earning an A in every course. 

A scholar of languages and literature, Oliver is proficient in six languages and has earned high praise from faculty for his clarity and insight in analyzing complex Russian texts. His academic excellence has been recognized with the Buchanan Winthrop Prize for Latin sight translation and the Alice Derby Lang Prize for his essay, ‘The Scythian: Lucian’s Headless Tale?’

“Oliver has served as a Latin tutor at the Yale Center for Language Study and held editorial roles with both the Yale Historical Review and Helicon, the undergraduate journal of Classics. He has also contributed to archaeological research through his volunteer work with the Gabii Project in Italy.

“In recognition of his extraordinary scholarly achievements, Yale College is proud to award the Warren Memorial High Scholarship Prize this year to Oliver Huston.”

The Arthur Twining Hadley Prize

Awarded to the senior in Yale College majoring in the social sciences who ranks highest in scholarship.

Teddy Albert Tawil, Saybrook College

“Teddy Tawil graduates summa cum laude with distinction in his major of Ethics, Politics, and Economics. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year, he has completed 39 credits at Yale, earning an A in every course. Teddy has focused his academic work on the intersection of law, policy, and ethics, with a particular emphasis on the societal implications of artificial intelligence. His coursework has spanned graduate seminars and professional courses at the Law School and the Jackson School of Global Affairs. He founded the Yale AI Policy Initiative to help prepare policymakers for the legal, social, and geopolitical challenges posed by emerging technologies.

“Beyond the classroom, Teddy has been a leader and mentor through the Yale Debate Association, where he has achieved international success and supported younger students in their development.

“For his exceptional scholarship and commitment to public service, Yale College proudly awards the Arthur Twining Hadley Prize to Edward Albert Tawil.”

The Russell Henry Chittenden Prize

Awarded to the senior majoring in the natural sciences or in mathematics who ranks highest in scholarship.

Andy Nilipour, Ezra Stiles College

“Andy Nilipour was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year and graduates summa cum laude with distinction in both of his majors, Astrophysics and Mathematics, along with a certificate in Japanese. He has earned 44 course credits at Yale — every one of them an A. 

Andy’s academic interests span cosmology, radio astronomy, and machine learning. He has conducted research at the SETI Research Center at UC Berkeley, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in New Mexico, and MIT’s Haystack Observatory. His work includes developing regularized maximum likelihood algorithms for Event Horizon Telescope data and using neural networks to analyze Baryon Acoustic Oscillations.

“A recipient of the Light Fellowship, Andy studied abroad at International Christian University in Tokyo and interned at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. He has also served as a teaching fellow in Yale’s Japanese Language Program, a grader in the Department of Mathematics, and a peer tutor at the Center for Language Study. Next year, Andy will pursue an M.Phil. in Physics at the University of Cambridge as a Churchill Scholar.

“For his exceptional scholarship and future promise in his field, Yale College proudly awards the Russell Henry Chittenden Prize to Andy Nilipour.”

The Louis Sudler Prize

Awarded to two seniors for excellence in the performing or creative arts.

Nicole Lam, Ezra Stiles College

“Nicole Lam graduates cum laude and with distinction with a double major in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science and a joint B.S./M.S. in the latter. Yet Nicole has also made an enduring impact at Yale through music. A gifted conductor, pianist, and vocalist, Nicole has led the Yale Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Conductor, directed the Berkeley College Orchestra, and performed with the Yale Schola Cantorum. She completed four years of solo piano recitals through the School of Music’s selective lessons-for-credit program. Her musical leadership extended across campus stages, where she conducted or directed sixteen theatrical productions and coached vocalists for eight more.

“Nicole’s presence in rehearsal rooms has been transformative — her artistry, rigor, and joy has elevated every ensemble she led. Beyond Yale, she founded Love Through Music, a nonprofit that brings music to underserved communities. With over 500 members in nine branches, it has hosted more than 50 charity concerts nationwide. A versatile and passionate artist, Nicole has touched thousands who have heard her play the piano, listened to her sing, or watched her conduct.

“For her extraordinary talent, leadership in performance, and commitment to music as a force for connection and healing, Yale College is proud to award the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Performing and Creative Arts to Nicole Lam.”

Mazie Wong, Jonathan Edwards College

“Mazie Wong graduates with a degree in Art. More than an artist or muralist, Mazie is a world-builder — an imaginative thinker whose work invites viewers into metaphysical spaces where ecology, emotion, and identity intertwine. Her creations reflect a deep engagement with art history, fiction, and material craft, and her ability to merge concept and process is rare and remarkable.

“Mazie’s work spans painting, ceramics, and fresco, each medium approached with rigor, reverence, and a hunger to master its history and technique. Her most ambitious project, Growing Apart / Falling to Pieces, is a permanent 7-foot-by-10-foot fresco mural installed in Jonathan Edwards College. The labor-intensive process — grinding pigments, preparing lime plaster, and painting on wet surfaces — demands precision, patience, and vision. Mazie’s choice of this medium speaks to her commitment to pushing artistic boundaries and honoring tradition while forging new paths.

“Her work is not only technically masterful but conceptually rich, offering viewers a mirror, a metaphor, or a moment of reflection. She creates spaces that invite contemplation and connection.

“For her ambition, her devotion to learning, and her ability to bring new worlds into being, Yale College is proud to award the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Creative Arts to Mazie Wong.”

The Alpheus Henry Snow Prize

Awarded to the senior who through the combination of intellectual achievement, character, and personality, shall be adjudged by the faculty to have done most for Yale by inspiring in his or her classmates an admiration for the traditions of high scholarship.

Ethan Levinbook, Grace Hopper College

“Ethan graduates summa cum laude and with distinction with a B.A./M.A. in French, the first student at Yale to complete this dual-degree program. A Hart Lyman Prize winner and member of Phi Beta Kappa, Ethan has distinguished himself as a scholar of exceptional depth and originality. His senior thesis, which earned the Wrexham Prize for the best senior essay in the field of the humanities, and James T. King Prize, presents the first English translation of Victor Hugo’s Philosophie, accompanied by a sixty-page critical study that repositions the work as a vital bridge between Hugo’s early and final drafts of Les Misérables.

“Ethan’s translation of Hugo’s La Pitié suprême, a monumental poem on amnesty, was the first of its kind in English and was supported by archival research in Paris. His work has been recognized with the French North American Studies Prize and the Kenneth Cornell Award. Beyond the classroom, Ethan has served as director and editor-in-chief of L’Amuse Bouche, and as managing editor and translator for the Yale Journal of Literary Translation, working across French, Old French, Latin, and Ancient Greek.

“Ethan’s commitment to language and justice extends into the New Haven community, where he has provided pro bono translation and interpretation services for local legal aid organizations since 2021. His work with the New Haven Legal Assistance Association and the Civil Justice Clinic at Quinnipiac Law School has supported Francophone asylum seekers and their attorneys, in collaboration with Yale Law School’s Immigrant Rights Clinic. Faculty describe Ethan as ‘a once-in-a-lifetime student,’ whose intellectual maturity, kindness, and scholarly rigor set him apart. He has served as a jury member and speaker for the Prix Goncourt-U.S., and was honored this spring with the David Everett Chantler Award and the Grace Hopper College Fellows Cup.

“For his extraordinary scholarship, his service to others, and his embodiment of Yale’s highest values, Yale College is proud to award the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize to Ethan Levinbook.”