Dalila Sanchez Recognized During Academic Honors Program at VSU

Dalila Sanchez of Roopville, Georgia, is the recipient of the 2022-2023 American Association of University Women Award at Valdosta State University. She graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from VSU in 2022 and anticipates earning a Master of Science in Biology in 2024. She hopes to work in the field of ecology, especially dealing with wildlife. She is pictured with (from left to right) Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of VSU; Dr. Emily Rose, assistant professor in the Department of Biology; and Dr. Robert Smith, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

VALDOSTA — Dalila Sanchez of Roopville, Georgia, is the recipient of the 2022-2023 American Association of University Women Award at Valdosta State University.

Sanchez was recognized during VSU’s annual Academic Honors Program on April 27.

The American Association of University Women Award is presented to a female student with a minimum overall grade point average of 3.5 who has demonstrated talents for intellectual growth and leadership through her involvement in clubs, organizations, projects, and/or work experience throughout her time at VSU.

“It is such an honor to be recognized,” she shared. “It means that I have been making an impact and that my work is being seen by those around me. It also makes me feel that I am being a good role model for those that I am helping and mentoring.”

Sanchez graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from VSU in 2022. She anticipates earning a Master of Science in Biology in 2024.

As a student at VSU, Sanchez has presented original research at the 2022 and 2023 Georgia Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting and the 2022 VSU Undergraduate Research Symposium. She is a member of the Rose Lab, Anuran Acoustics, and the American Association of University Women, and she serves as a peer mentor with the College of Science and Mathematics GUIDES initiative.

Sanchez’s commitment to academic, leadership, research, and service excellence has earned her repeated Dean’s List recognitions, the David and Cecelia Ratcliffe Scholarship (2022), the Sallie Hutchinson Scholarship (2021, 2022), and the Odum Scholarship (2019, 2020). As an undergraduate, she was a Zell Miller Scholar.

“I am starting to look at internship opportunities and careers in the ecology field, specifically dealing with wildlife,” she noted. “I plan to use my remaining time at VSU to decide exactly where I’m going next, whether it be the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, or something else entirely.”

Her supportive family includes parents Crystal and Clemente Sanchez.