Biola University will honor four influential women at the ninth annual Ruby Awards on Friday, March 18 at Biola’s Women’s History Month luncheon. The Ruby Awards exist to celebrate women in the Biola community who inspire others with their unique voice of courage.

The awards will be presented to four women who exemplify Godly traits and values that align with select women of the Bible. For almost a decade, awards have been given to alumni, staff, faculty, students and friends of the university..

The four awards being awarded are the “Priscilla Award for Teaching & Mentoring,” the “Deborah Award for Leadership & Wisdom,” the “Esther Award for Obedience & Servanthood” and the “Anna Horton Award for Lifetime Commitment and Service”

The “Priscilla Award for Teaching & Mentoring” will be awarded to Biola Student Chelsea Vukovich, from Cerritos, Calif, an accounting alumni who graduated in 2015. Vukovich has served the Biola community through working with the Student Government Association as well as Student Orientation Services. She was also a standout student, recognized by her professors as going above and beyond to engage with class content as well as in relationships with her teachers and classmates.

Vukovich is known as a woman who seeks to walk alongside her peers and to know them well — showing God’s truth in love. She was also recognized by her nominator “for her desire to spread the gospel and teach his word through her actions, words, and attitude.”

The “Deborah Award for Leadership & WIsdom” will be awarded to Carrie Stockton, a resident of Fullerton, Calif. Stockton is currently the dean of student success at Biola. Stockton graduated with a bachelor's degree in Business/Economics from Wheaton College and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Biola University. She is currently in the process of acquiring her Ph.D. from Azusa Pacific University.

Stockton is known to set an amazing example for students and staff members and has earned the trust and respect of the Biola community for her leadership in the area of student success. Her nominators stated she is “assertive in her leadership and gracefully [encouraging] to her peers” as well as leading “with wisdom beyond her years, and yet is also down to earth, humble, and herself.”

The “Esther Award for Obedience & Servanthood” will be awarded to Jessica Barco, a resident of La Puente, Calif. Barco is currently the associate director of financial aid for counseling and customer service at Biola University. She graduated from Biola with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and an MBA from Biola’s Crowell School of Business.

Barco has a heart for serving Biola students and families with the utmost excellence even if it takes sacrifice, according to her nominator.

“She is an inspiration to those around her as she prospers through hardships and persecution and enables those around her to do the same,” said an anonymous nominator.

The “Anna Horton Award for Lifetime Commitment and Service” will be awarded to Susan Hoffman. Hoffman, along with her husband Donald, founded the Hoffman awards which are awarded to Biola’s non-faculty staff members for their outstanding work.

In addition to creating the Hoffman Awards, Hoffman has also contributed towards the renovation of the Rose of Sharon Prayer Chapel located on Biola’s campus. This chapel is a place for the students, staff and faculty to pray and reflect at any hour of the day.

The Biola Women’s History Month luncheon will be at 11:30 a.m. on March 18, 2016. For more information and to register, visit the website.

 

Written by Drew Mattocks, Public Relations Intern. For further information, contact Jenna Loumagne, media relations specialist, at (562) 777-4061 or jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.