The F.T. Kidder Medal is presented to the senior student who best exemplifies the qualities of character, leadership, and scholarship. It is named in honor of Fred T. Kidder, a graduate of the class of 1880 and the College of Medicine in 1883, who later served on the University of Vermont Board of Trustees. This year’s recipient is Jonah Stern (he/him pronouns).
An Environmental Sciences major with a minor in Geospatial Technologies, Stern initially struggled to envision what his pathway in the field could be. He found a niche for himself in the Place-Based Education certificate program which offered a new lens to view his major and helped him better connect with his course materials. He considers growing into his major as one of his hardest challenges and strongest achievements at UVM.
Stern has built a strong community on campus through numerous leadership roles. He has served as a project coordinator for the Rubenstein School HSES, the Gear Library Coordinator, a TREK leader, the co-coordinator of the Summer Enrichment Scholars Program, and Outdoor Programs Spring Break TA, President of the Interracial Adoptee Group, Vice President and Student Advisor of the Asian Student Union, and a trip leader for People of Color Outdoors. “As a leader, you want to be the kind of person that people feel like they can follow, and most importantly trust,” Stern shares. “I think my strength lies there—in rallying people to be their best person by building intentional space that's built on mutual trust and respect.” His impact on the BIPOC community on campus is significant and his nominator notes that, “Jonah's work as a Trip leader in POCO has opened many doors for BIPOC students to explore the amazing outdoors of Vermont.”
His accomplishments have been recognized with the Roger Summers Award, Rubenstein Outstanding Environmental Leadership Award, Lola and George D. Aiken Scholars Program, the President’s Common Ground Scholarship, Trustee’s Scholarship and the DeHayes Multicultural Scholarship.
“Our friendships, clubs, communities—they’re really just another word for our support systems,” Stern says of UVM. “I have never felt so supported by so many people at once.”