Diya Stephen 鈥�25, M鈥�26: President鈥檚 Medal Winner
As president of the Class of 2025, Diya Stephen ’25, M’26 knew that she would be onstage welcoming her fellow graduates and their families to Commencement.
What she didn’t know—after all the names were read and each graduate crossed the stage, she would be called up yet again. This time, to accept the President’s Medal.
“I actually thought a couple of my friends had a really good chance of winning this medal,” says Stephen, a medical studies graduate in the 3+2 Physician Assistant program. “So I was actually recording when I heard my own name. I put my phone down; I was shocked.”
The President’s Medal is presented by Father James Greenfield, OSFS ’84, Ed.D., to the graduate who has attained intellectual maturity consistent with his or her talents. Stephen, who is from California, credits her time at DeSales and the tight-knit campus community with helping her grow from a young first-year to a confident, mature graduate.
“I wasn’t all that involved in high school,” she says. “So that’s something I wanted to change when I came to DeSales. It allowed me to get to where I am and make the progress that I made.”
Stephen became a Character U mentor her sophomore year, a Character U captain her junior year, and a member of the Orientation team her senior year. She also served as a tour guide and Bulldog ambassador, and she helped to develop the Home Away from Home program to help students experiencing homesickness.
She developed deep friendships with not only fellow students, but with staff members as well. She credits the mailroom staff and the healthcare suite staff with being a big support, as well as Brendan Graham ’19, M’23, who gave Stephen her first tour of campus and served as her admissions counselor, and Nick Luchko, associate dean of students for engagement and leadership.
“When I won the award, I got a text from both Brendan and Nick. It was such a full-circle moment because I wouldn’t be here without them. There are so many people on campus who have been such a support to me. They give you the opportunity and you go from there.”