![slb2234](https://www.cc-seas.columbia.edu/sites/dsa/files/styles/large/public/slb2234.jpg?itok=-mx7edYf)
Award Recognition
Indelible Mark
Senior Marshal
School of Engineering and Applied Science Student Activities Award
Sarah Braka has worn many hats throughout her time at Columbia—Vice President of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, President of Columbia UnTapped, and Vice President of Communications of Alpha Omicron Pi. But she is best recognized as the 145th Editor in Chief and President of the Columbia Daily Spectator. In that role, Sarah not only managed a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and over 300 student journalists, editors, engineers, and designers but also led an organizational cultural shift. No stranger to working non-stop shifts of 10 or more hours during her time as head copy editor, Sarah understood the risks of burnout and adverse mental health effects from stress culture. Alongside Vice Presidents Lizzie Karpen and Tamarah Wallace, Sarah imposed hard limits on staffers’ work hours and ran a Spectator that respected equally the well-being of its staff and the high quality of its journalism.
I am honored and humbled to be presented with these distinguished awards. Thank you to my classmates, colleagues, and mentors for making my Columbia experience so unforgettable and rewarding. I hope that I will have left as lasting an impact on the Columbia community as this incredible community has left on me. All my thanks and love to my family and friends, whose support has never wavered.