How I Earned the Prestigious Bearcat of the Year Award at Binghamton University
- Dimitri
- May 19
- 3 min read
Updated: May 20
I had the honor of winning the Bearcat of the Year Award at Binghamton University. Here's how I did it:
The award on the Binghamton University website is as described:
"About:
The Best All Around New Bearcat Award will be given to the two new full-time Binghamton University undergraduate students — one first-year student and one transfer student — who not only show a dedication to their academics, but have also taken the initiative to get involved in a range of extracurricular activities on campus their first semester. B-Engaged User Leaderboard points will also be considered. Award recipients to be determined by the Student Affairs Assessment and Solutions for Engagement (SAASE) staff.
Qualifications:
New full-time undergraduate student (first year or transfer)
Minimum 3.0 GPA
Minimum membership in at least two B-Engaged groups
Application process:
Please submit the following supporting documents:
1 - 3 paragraphs highlighting why you feel the nominee is qualified.
One letter of support from faculty, professional staff person or organization officer with the application.
B-Engaged Transcript highlighting activities and involvement at Binghamton University."
Initially, when I nominated myself for the award I didn't think I would get it - I'm an engineering major and even though I'm in some clubs, none of them are incredibly serious or committal. My calculus professor was my letter of recommendation. When I first came to Binghamton, I joined Climbing Club to get outside and participate in physical activities. However, I stopped participating after awhile. Additionally, I joined the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Binghamton Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Club, Harpur Radio Workshop, and National Society of Leadership & Success. My multiple affiliations paired with my engineering projects I pursue made for a strong application.
At the Student Awards Gala 2025, there were programs handed out to every attendee. My friend, Cole Mogi, was my plus one. He's my classmate and closest friend at Binghamton University as of right now. You're not given a heads up if you won beforehand. Every winner was announced at the gala. As my award category came up, my nerves rose as I scanned the list of nominees. There was one girl who's a double major, is a D1 track & field athlete, and is a member of the Society of Women Engineers. I thought for sure she would get it. As the announcer opened the envelope, my heart began to race. There was someone controlling the projector with the slides of who won. Before the announcer read my name, they accidentally went to the next slide and my name showed. My friends congratulated me and my name was called. I walked up to the stage to receive my award and stood there as the announcer read out a list of my accomplishments, affiliations, and organizations.
Since the experience, I have stopped pursuing my radioshow dj license with Harpur Radio Workshop and stopped attending climbing club due to the frequent costs associated with it. However, in its places I gained a summer internship at Lavner Education and am pursuing multiple personal engineering passion projects as well as volunteering beginning in the Fall 2025 semester.
After the event, I was sent photos of myself receiving the award and was posted on the B-Engaged Instagram, Student Gala Events Instagram, and LinkedIn. An article highlighted all the winners, a check for $500 was sent to me, and I had another addition to my LinkedIn and resume that I was proud to add. The recognition taught me the importance of marketing yourself, putting yourself out there, and getting out of your comfort zone. I attached a couple of photos as well as the links to the articles and posts where I am mentioned. Thank you again to Binghamton University and everyone who has supported me up until this point. I'm extremely grateful!
binguactivities Instagram Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJcBI7Zttnq/?img_index=3
bengagedbing Instagram Post: https://www.instagram.com/bengagedbing/p/DJkIBxKB76y/
BingUNews Article: https://www.binghamton.edu/news/story/5552/binghamton-university-recognizes-student-excellence-outside-the-classroom
List of all winners: https://www.binghamton.edu/student-affairs/initiatives/student-awards.html
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