Pari Prerana Award
Nominations for the 2011-2012 Pari Prerana Award are no longer being accepted. Please check back in the spring 2013 semester for the 2012-2013 Pari Prerana Award nomination form.
General Information
The Indiana University Graduate and Professional Student Organization and the University Graduate School are proud to announce the Indiana University Bloomington Pari Prerana Award.
The Pari Prerana (Essence of Inspiration) Award at Indiana University was established through the support of sponsors from the Indian subcontinent. The award strives to recognize and honor students who have overcome a severe physical, cognitive or other health related challenge/s and have demonstrated academic excellence.
The objective of this award is to provide university and community wide recognition to such students and their narratives (life stories and experiences) through various local media outlets. The award's goal is to contribute to building the self esteem, courage and competitive spirit among graduate students with challenges and to further Indiana University’s mission.
All advisors, graduate students, faculty and professors at Indiana University, Bloomington, are invited to nominate those students that they feel deserve special recognition for exemplary courage and determination under adverse and challenging conditions.
In addition to recognition, the award winner will receive a $250 cash award
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this award the candidate:
- Must be a graduate or professional student and must be currently enrolled full time in the current academic year at Indiana University Bloomington Campus.
- Has overcome or is coping with a severe physical challenge that affects the student’s mobility, hearing, vision, or is a systemic conditions that substantially limits at least one major life activity, (systemic disabilities are defined as conditions affecting one or more systems of the body, including respiratory, immunological, neurological, and circulatory systems) OR the student has overcome or is coping with a severe cognitive or other health related challenge.
Guidelines for Nominations
- Students may be nominated by a graduate advisor, fellow graduate student, or a faculty member.
- A student can self-nominate him or herself.
- Advisors, students, faculty members, professors or supervisors may nominate as many students as they would like as far as all nominees meet the eligibility criterion. The quantity of letters received for a particular student does not increase or decrease their chances of being selected.
Selection Procedure
The GPSO Awards Committee will review the nominees and a final decision will be approved by the GPSO Executive Committee.
Documents to be Submitted
- A completed nomination form (no longer available for the 2011-2012 award, but will be made available in spring 2013). Once you begin the actual application you may not be able to save and come back later. We recommend that you have your materials ready when you begin the application. In addition, we have provided a preview application if you would like to see the questions before beginning.
- Two letters of recommendation/nomination from an advisor, faculty member, professor, supervisor or university staff. Letters should highlight how the student has succeeded in spite of having a disability and should focus on the student's academic and personal achievements. Note: recommendation letters may be directly submitted by email to gpsofnds@indiana.edu with the subject line “Pari Prerana Award LOR's” and the name of the nominee.
Note: All documentation and letters will be read only for the purpose of selecting the recipient of the Indiana University Pari Prerana Award and will not be disseminated for general access.
Contact Information
If you have any questions regarding this award or the nomination process, please e-mail gpsofnds@indiana.edu with the Subject line "Pari Prerana Award."
Marissa Salat
2012 recipient of the Pari Prerana ("Essence of Inspiration") Award
Marissa Salat was recognized by Indiana University Graduate School leadership and GPSO members at the University Graduate School Awards Ceremony on April 24th, 2012.
The award strives to recognize and honor students who have overcome a severe physical, cognitive, or other health-related challenges and have demonstrated academic excellence. The objective of Pari Prerana is to provide university and community-wide recognition to such students and their narratives (life stories and experiences) through various local media outlets. The award's goal is to contribute to building the self esteem, courage and competitive spirit among graduate students with challenges and to further Indiana University's mission.
Marissa, a master's student in Special Education through the IU School of Education, was born prematurely and was deaf during the first two years of life. As a result, she has struggled to overcome learning disabilities throughout her life. She has completed some very impactful coursework, including a semester-long relationship with a family who had a child with disability, and implementation of interventions with elementary-aged students. One of her recommenders writes:
Marissa's professionalism and care was noted by the people she worked with in these contexts and by her classmates. This semester, I have heard continuous accounts from the faculty and educators that work with her regarding the positive contributions she is making as a student teacher. I am excited about the influence that she will have as a special education teacher upon her upcoming gradudation.
Marissa often strives to support and encourage students who were in similar situations that she was as a child. One of her recommenders quoted Marissa in saying:
I like to think that... if I tell these students every day I come there that they CAN, I can help them get past the label and push them to show the world what they can do... Just like I try to do everyday.
Marissa is an inspiration, and truly exemplifies a deserving recipient of the 2012 Pari Prerana Essence of Inspiration Award.
