The 2025 Servant Leader Awards

On behalf of the 2025 Servant Leader Awards Committee, we are honored to announce the Twenty-First Annual Servant Leader Awards recipients.

For the past 21 years, the Servant Leader Awards have striven to seek out and honor students whose dedication to service both on and off campus can serve as an example to their peers and all of us at Seton Hall. Over the years, these awards have shone a light on students who sought to serve others not for recognition but because of their innate call to end social injustice in all walks of life.

We are proud to announce four recipients for this year's awards:
• Wendy Cardona Herrera
• Nicholas Kimble
• Shayne Simmons
• Camile Taylor

Each recipient's contributions to acts of love and service are unique and widespread within the Seton Hall community and beyond.

Wendy Cardona Herrera, a junior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing, embraces servant leadership through community, love and empathy transforming these values into meaningful action. Wendy has contributed significantly as both a volunteer and student leader within the Division of Volunteer Efforts. As a DOVE work-study, she has demonstrated unwavering commitment by leading weekly programs each semester for the past three years. Through DOVE, Wendy volunteered at Bernice’s Place, part of the Elizabeth Coalition for the Homeless in Elizabeth, where she dedicated her time to tutoring at-risk children. She learned that service extends beyond material donations. It involves offering one's time and love. Drawing from her own experiences as an English language learner, Wendy found a personal connection while helping children who were also navigating the challenges of learning a new language. A similar sense of purpose guided her work with MFEE Mentoring and ESL Support in Montclair. Wendy participated in the Releasing the DOVEs: El Salvador Mission Trip. She served as a translator and fostered connections with local residents, children and the homebound. Wendy’s experiences — listening to stories, supporting individuals with limited access to care and building meaningful relationships — deeply inspired her. With her dedication to service and creating positive changes, locally and internationally, Wendy Cardona Herrera exemplifies the values of a servant leader.

Nicholas Kimble, a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Diplomacy and International Relations, exemplifies servant leadership through his unwavering focus on human connection, resilience and empathy. His dedication is evident in his years of volunteering with the Community of Sant’ Egidio, where he distributed 150 meals and essential shelter resources twice a week to homeless individuals at New York Penn Station since January 2023. Nicholas expanded his service efforts during his time at Seton Hall. Last semester, he served as the outreach and partnerships coordinator for the Graduate Institute of Geneva Migration Initiative. In this role, he collaborated with organizations supporting migrants, coordinated events to amplify migrant voices and forged partnerships to enhance the initiative's impact. Beyond these efforts, Nicholas led English and French language workshops and ensured migrants had access to essential integration resources. Looking to the future, Nicholas has been awarded the prestigious U.S. Department of State Rangel Fellowship. This opportunity will empower him to bridge communities, advocate for justice and extend his dedication to service on a global scale. With his commitment to transformative action, both locally and internationally, along with his humility and leadership, Nicholas Kimble embodies the qualities of a servant leader.

Shayne Simmons, a graduate student pursuing a Master of Arts in Public Administration with a concentration in public policy and nonprofit management, embraces servant leadership. Guided by the philosophy that servant leadership thrives in its inherent irrationality — serving simply because there is work to be done, people to help and change to create — Shayne embodies a passion for making a tangible impact. Shayne’s commitment to food security, sustainability and community empowerment is at the core of his efforts. By initiating and championing a program that redirects Seton Hall’s cafeteria surplus food to local soup kitchens and food pantries, he has forged partnerships with nonprofits to combat food insecurity. These efforts ensure that surplus food is used to nourish those in need rather than going to waste. Shayne’s initiative has resulted in hundreds of pounds of food being donated weekly, offering sustenance and dignity to individuals facing hardship in Newark. As a RIOS Research Lab assistant, Shayne conducted and presented his capstone research which focused on food security and systemic food inequalities — advocating for meaningful reform. With a foundation of research dedicated to social justice and public service, Shayne is driven to create meaningful change and inspire hope in underserved communities. With his contributions to our campus and community, Shayne Simmons exemplifies the essence of servant leadership.

Camile Taylor, a third-year law student at Seton Hall Law School, exemplifies servant leadership. Her philosophy on servant leadership emphasizes grassroots efforts that create meaningful change in individuals' lives. Camile exemplifies this dedication through her creation of “Shop Talks,” a student-led expungement clinic in Newark. Recognizing the barriers legal records create for employment and housing, “Shop Talks” provides legal assistance in accessible community spaces, where people felt comfortable seeking help. Under Camile’s coordination, the clinic’s success included pro bono attorneys advising community members on expungements and achieving same-day filings for approximately 30 individuals. Camile’s passion for service extends to her work with Seton Hall's Center for Social Justice Transactional Clinic. There, she provided crucial support to small businesses and nonprofits lacking legal expertise or resources. By guiding clients through the complexities of establishing and maintaining their organizations, she reinforced her commitment to empowering businesses with the legal foundation necessary to thrive. Her dedication to fostering positive change also shines through her time as a Teach for America corps member in Philadelphia. As a special education teacher and case manager, Camile supported her students by meeting their individualized plans, advocating for them and fostering a supportive environment while addressing systemic barriers through impactful classroom actions. With her commitment to uplifting and empowering her community through every endeavor, Camile Taylor embodies the spirit of servant leadership.

The Division of Volunteer Efforts held a ceremony on Monday, April 8, 2025, in celebration of this year's recipients. Family and friends were able to join from far and near to celebrate with our recipients. President Monsignor Joseph Reilly shared inspirational words on the role of servant leadership. Anthony Nicotera gave an incredible keynote address.

Seton Hall University wishes to congratulate the recipients of the Twenty-First Annual Servant Leader Award. Thank you for your constant efforts towards the betterment of our communities and all of humanity. Your hard work and service towards the transcendence of humanity will never go unnoticed.

Categories: Campus Life, Faith and Service