Despina Ades

Department of Teaching and Learning

Award for Outstanding Master’s Student in Education and Social Change

Few students have shown the persistence and ability to overcome adversity in pursuit of their education in the way that Ms. Despina Ades has. Forced to take an unexpected leave partway through her program, Ms. Ades overcame medical problems, issues with outstanding tuition balances, lack of alignment between the federal student loan program and her debts, requirements to retake a course that she thought she had completed, as well as institutional inability to provide much flexibility to her case due to federal rules and regulations. On top of all that, Ms. Ades moved to a new city and found new employment. Throughout this process, Ms. Ades has faced and overcome the challenges that have stood in her way, all the while maintaining a GPA of just under 4.0