Alyssa Woolard: The 2021 Susan Butler Award Recipient

Congratulations Alyssa Woolard, the 2021 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 female graduating senior for outstanding scholarship and character.  

At IU, Alyssa was the founder and president of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, and served on the Multicultural Greek Council as the director of public relations. She served as president of the Student Cinema Guild for two years. In this role, she hosted filmmaking workshops and worked as an executive producer on annual club short film projects.  In addition, she served as an Equity and Inclusion committee member for the Indiana University Student Government, where she worked to create a training program for professors on how to make the classroom a more inclusive space. 

Her passion for film is also evident in her academic achievements.  Alyssa created a short student documentary film, “Veganize Me” for one of her classes, which was recognized by the regional Emmy Awards.  She went on to help with the IU Bicentennial portrait film project and served as the sole documentarian for the College of Arts and Sciences Books and Beyond program documentary project, where she filmed an English literacy camp in Rwanda. 

Alyssa’s outstanding scholarship has earned her a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Arts with a minor in narrative filmmaking and creative industry management from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Her Acknowledgements

During Alyssa’s time as a Hoosier, she’s most proud of being one of the founding members of Theta Nu Xi Sorority Inc, a legacy that will live past her graduation from IU.  When asked to share some acknowledgements for those who supported her over her time at IU, she said

Thank you to my parents and my grandpa for all their support, aiding me through various documents, phone calls, academic challenges, and general support. Thank you to my advisors Craig, Jalyn, and Karlee for helping me grow into a better leader in each different aspect of my activities. And lastly, a big thank you to my sisters for always being there to lean on.”