Pictured above: Fraternity President Megan Shaw James, Millsaps, and 2024 Sarah Ida Shaw Award Winner Caroline “Callie” Heckman, Georgia
Named after our beloved Founder, the Sarah Ida Shaw Award stands as Tri Delta’s most prestigious individual collegiate honor. Our recipients are not only leaders but also role models, both on their campuses and within their communities. They embody the core values of Tri Delta, demonstrating selfless leadership, fostering strong sisterhood bonds and promoting unity within their chapters. The exceptional quality of nominees for this award this year was truly remarkable!
On Sunday, April 14—during our closing session at Collegiate Leadership Conference (CLC)—Tri Delta celebrated our 2024 Sarah Ida Shaw Award Winner Caroline “Callie” Heckman, Georgia, and runners-up Bianca Balsamo, Washington, Nivedha Suresh, Texas/Dallas, and Jaci Walker, Oklahoma. The Sarah Ida Shaw committee was impressed by each of the Tri Delta women who were nominated by their chapters. “It was inspiring to read about some of Tri Delta’s incredible young leaders, which resulted in confirming our pride in our membership and our excitement about the Fraternity’s future.”
Get to know these incredible women:
Winner: Caroline “Callie” Heckman, Georgia
Callie’s outstanding leadership, academic excellence and unwavering commitment to community engagement make her a deserving recipient of our prestigious Sarah Ida Shaw Award. She exemplifies empathy as the cornerstone of her leadership approach. Following tragic events in the Panhellenic community at the University of Georgia, she dedicated herself to fostering a supportive environment within her chapter, implementing mental health education initiatives and providing a listening ear to members at any time. Callie ensures that every member feels supported and valued. She shared, “I have also opened up my personal time to talk to members about anything that weighs heavy on their hearts—whether that is adjusting to college life, struggling with mental health or needing someone just to listen—I make it abundantly clear that I am here for ALL the members, no matter the time or place.”
Academically, Callie has overcome significant challenges to maintain a 4.0 average, while prioritizing the well-being of her peers. Transitioning to a new environment at school, she navigated feelings of isolation by building a network of supportive friends. Through this experience, Callie learned the importance of prioritizing kindness and emotional support, believing that academic success is inseparable from personal growth and community support.
As vice president of chapter programming and development, she facilitated constructive conversations within the chapter, even during the recent challenging times with current events. Over the course of two weeks, Callie met with more than 40 members for over 30 hours of conversation. In every encounter she had with a member who was struggling, her goal was to make sure the member felt heard, loved, and respected. In order to do so, she left her own personal convictions behind, placed herself in their shoes, and allowed their emotions to be validated. By prioritizing empathy and respect, she ensured that members felt heard and supported, fostering a culture of kindness and understanding within the chapter.
Her chapter president wrote, “Her kindness does not discriminate as she leads with grace and humility; she is never boastful despite her incredible accomplishments.”
Callie studies economics with an emphasis in business analytics, consulting and public policy. She also has a certificate in legal studies and is minoring in classical culture. In her acceptance speech, Callie said, “The gift that Tri Delta has given us is a group of women to make the impossible possible, the complicated simple and foster the genuine female friendship that will keep us moving forward. It is up to us to continue to cultivate these precious relationships that will carve our path ahead. We must remind each other of all the reasons we are important to one another, emphasize just how loved we all are and celebrate the differences that fuel our individuality. It only feels right to end this with the same words I end every chapter meeting with back in Georgia: Be kind to yourself, be kind to one another and you deserve the love so many people are willing to give.”
1st Runner up: Bianca Balsamo, Washington
As collegiate chapter president, Bianca displayed remarkable composure and leadership when her chapter faced a traumatic incident involving a neighbor’s voyeurism. Despite the emotional turmoil, she prioritized her sisters’ safety, maintained open communication and worked closely with authorities and alumnae to navigate the crisis.
Recognizing issues with implicit biases in her chapter’s recruitment process, Bianca collaborated with the new director of recruitment events to implement reforms. They transitioned to a more nuanced evaluation system, prioritized education on implicit biases and fostered a culture of kindness and respect.
As a student in entrepreneurship studies at the university’s Foster School of Business, Bianca led a team project with a real startup. She conducted in-depth market research, analysis and a persuasive presentation that earned praise from both her professor and the startup founders.
In her own words, Bianca reflected on the transformative impact of her summer internship at Marsh McLennan Agency, saying, “This internship was life-changing. I learned to believe in myself, use my strengths to my advantage and become comfortable with the uncomfortable. It taught me the power of self-reverence, knowledge and control in achieving my dreams and showed me how I could use these qualities to inspire and impact others.”
Bianca’s academic advisor noted, “Of the hundreds of students I advise, Bianca stands out. She is bright, an independent thinker, and is always willing to take on challenges to better the chapter.”
2nd Runner up: Nivedha Suresh, Texas/Dallas
As the director of recruitment events for her Tri Delta chapter, Nivedha, a data science major, took on a significant leadership role, managing all the planning and logistics for the chapter’s recruitment weekend. Despite the challenges and stress, she showed resilience, self-sacrifice and a commitment to supporting her sisters and the Tri Delta community. This experience allowed her to develop important leadership skills. She learned that “self-sacrifice was being a role model and putting on a smile even while feeling like nothing was going right because if I were confident, my sisters would be too. Self-sacrifice was putting myself aside to wholeheartedly support Tri Delta and our process of bringing future sisters home.”
Nivedha’s passion for aviation and becoming a commercial pilot is an impressive extracurricular pursuit. Her persistence in overcoming the hurdle of mastering landings as a student pilot, and ultimately achieving her first solo flight showcases her determination and growth mindset.
Nivedha’s involvement in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, both within her Tri Delta chapter and on her university’s Student Government, proves her deep commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive community. She advocated for access to affordable period products on her campus. She collaborated with other student leaders to pressure the administration to pledge their administration to install free menstrual product dispensers. “Whether intentionally or not, I have personally embodied and utilized self-reverence, self-knowledge and self-control to enact change on my campus and make the student experience just a little bit more just. Ultimately, my journey personally and with activism all started with Tri Delta and I am incredibly thankful for how Tri Delta has empowered me to be the difference I want to see.”
3rd Runner up: Jaci Walker, Oklahoma
As a member at large, Jaci was challenged with moments of frustration during recruitment but channeled them into promoting an atmosphere of openness and creating a culture of transparency. Even when encountering misunderstandings from fellow chapter members, Jaci took the initiative to engage in individual discussions to establish clear guidelines and support Tri Delta’s sincere intention to embrace potential new members. This involved a significant investment of time and effort, but it led to an immense growth in friendship among members, specifically between new member classes. In her final year, Jaci continued her advocacy efforts during recruitment. “As an upperclassman, mentorship has been the greatest gift to give back to my chapter.”
Jaci realized she was overextended with commitments. Initially overwhelmed by the desire to participate in every opportunity, she was challenged by her sorority mentors to prioritize the organizations where she felt most passionate. This shift allowed her to build long-lasting, meaningful relationships and have a greater impact through her leadership. This journey of finding focus and depth in her involvement, rather than breadth, allowed her to see the “fruits” of her involvement. She learned that “leadership and commitment look like passionate intentionality and humble servitude, whether it be in one place or many.”
Jaci’s love for the genuine, close-knit atmosphere at the University of Oklahoma has played a crucial role in her time at college. Serving as a Campus Tour Guide has given her a special platform to introduce this unique community to potential students, all while embodying the Tri Delta principle of “kind alike to all.” Even during disagreements, Jaci’s compassionate and helpful attitude has helped her resolve conflicts and make others feel appreciated. She intends to continue embracing the service-oriented mindset, knowing, “Wherever I end up, I know that being kind alike to all will be a vital component of my life.”
Her vice president of community relations said, “Of all the college students I’ve met, Jaci is among the most dependable, joyous, and passionate.”
High Honors:
Mariana Pirela, Tulane
Honorable Mention:
Sydney Boyer, Carnegie Mellon
Allison Harris, Wisconsin
Emily Kennedy, Nebraska
Olivia Leingang, North Dakota State
Zoe Montalto, Vermont
Isabella Mussollino, Tulsa
Katherine Sheafor, Chapman
Katherine Taylor, Transylvania