2020 Showker Prizes awarded at Bridgewater College

The Zane D. Showker Institute for Responsible Leadership awarded its 2020 Showker Prizes.

Established in 2016, the Showker Prize is awarded to an interdisciplinary team of Bridgewater College students who best demonstrate leadership, creativity and collaboration in generating a unique solution to a difficult real-world problem.

Four teams began the process last year and, in April, three teams presented their final projects to a panel of alumni judges via websites created by the teams.

The winning team was NetZero Plastics, which sought to tackle plastic waste on campus by planning to build a 10-foot, global-shaped sculpture repurposing plastic waste and raising awareness and promoting a more sustainable lifestyle among the campus community. The team also launched an awareness campaign on social media advocating reusable and/or more environmentally friendly materials.

Winning team members were Rashad Alfarra, Sophie S. Hargrave, Joan Lee, who served as team leader, Anh H. Nguyen and Eli W. Quay.

Alfarra, a first-year computer science and business administration double major, is from Khan Younis, Palastine. Hargrave, a senior philosophy major, is the daughter of Stephanie Hargrave of Greensboro, N.C., and Richard Hargrave of Yorkshire, England. Lee, a senior English and professional writing double major with a communication studies minor, is the daughter of Mai Tran of South Riding, Va. Nguyen, a senior global studies major with English and Spanish minors, is from Hanoi, Vietnam. Quay, a senior communication, technology and culture major with a philosophy minor, is the son of Jeff and Lynn Quay of Bridgewater, Va. The $2,550 prize was split among the team members.​

Due to the unique circumstances of the competition this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, the judges distributed the $5,000 cash prize across all the teams. The winning team received $2,550 and the balance was divided among the other teams.

Bridgewater College is a private, four-year liberal arts college located in the Central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Founded in 1880, it was the state’s first private, coeducational college. Today, Bridgewater College is home to nearly 1,800 undergraduate students.