Congratulations Sneha Dave, the 2020 Susan Butler Award recipient. This award is in memory of Susan Butler, the mother of Margaret Butler Snow, a supporter of Indiana University during the Great Depression. This $2,500 award is given to a graduating senior woman for outstanding scholarship and character. This year’s honoree’s, outstanding scholarship earned her a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism as well as in chronic illness advocacy, an individualized major.
During her time at Indiana University, Sneha has been the founder for three different organizations. She founded the Health Advocacy Summit, Crohn’s and Colitis Young Adults Network and the Ninth District Disability Caucus, the first disability caucus in the state of Indiana. She has received national recognition for her with Crohn’s and Colitis Young Adults Network including being selected by the American Association of People with Disabilities as one of two Emerging Leaders and selected as a Global Teen Leader one of 32 most influential young adults in 2018.
Her biggest accomplishment was creating the Health Advocacy Summit, a national nonprofit that facilitates advocacy events and yearlong programs and operates across seven states and internationally. During her time as a Hoosier, she is most proud of finishing a research fellowship in health policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
When asked what Sneha Dave was thankful for during her four years here at IU she said, “At IU, I am thankful for the Individualized Major Program for allowing me to combine classes, build upon my specific interests, and for being the most consistent support system at IU throughout all four years. I am also grateful for my parents, my sister, and my mentors for their encouragement.”
Sneha will be working full-time with her nonprofit Health Advocacy Summit and its program Crohn’s and Colitis Young Adults Network which is supported by the Helmsley Charitable Trust, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and American Association of People with Disabilities.
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