Collegiate Recovery Awards
The 16th Annual Collegiate Recovery Conference will be held in-person June 25-June 29, 2025. Award recipients for the annual Collegiate Recovery Awards will be announced in April and will be celebrated at an event during the conference. If you have any questions, please contact Kristina Canfield at kristina.canfield@collegiaterecovery.org or the conference committee at conference@collegiaterecovery.org.
The 2025 Collegiate Recovery Awards Nomination form is now closed! View a PDF of the submission form to help you prepare for next year.
Award Descriptions
ARHE Awards
ARHE Lifetime Achievement Award – Honors a faculty member or professional staff member who has displayed excellence in service and leadership and has made significant contributions to the field above and beyond designated work responsibilities. The nominee’s contributions to ARHE and the field of recovery in higher education should reflect a high degree of commitment and service to the Association and should extend well beyond regular involvement.
Collegiate Recovery Champion Award – Honors an individual or organization who has championed collegiate recovery in a transformative and astounding manner. The Collegiate Recovery Champion Award is the highest annual honor recognized by ARHE.
Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year – Honors an undergraduate or graduate student who has displayed excellence in academics and leadership to the field above and beyond designated work/study responsibilities.
Collegiate Recovery Staff Member of the Year – Honors a college or university staff member who has displayed support and commitment to a collegiate recovery program beyond the designated level of expectation.
Collegiate Recovery Award for Outstanding Service – Honors an individual who goes above and beyond in their service efforts for the continued advancement of collegiate recovery.
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year – Honors an individual who has tirelessly advocated for the implementation, advancement, and sustainability of collegiate recovery at a local or national level.
Access, Belonging, and Connection Award – Honors an individual who has aided in the advancement of EDI and SJ in the field of collegiate recovery for BIPOC and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ students or has displayed a strong commitment to these populations in the wider recovery communities.
ARHE Cornerstone Award for Student Support – Honors an individual or organization who has gone above and beyond to support students in recovery. The Cornerstone Award recognizes and celebrates the core of what the field is about: supporting students in recovery.
ARHE Community Member / Organization of the Year – Honors an individual or organization who has aided in the advancement of the field and/or to the specific development of a community, area, resource or topic related to recovery in higher education.
Collegiate Recovery Philanthropist of the Year – Honors an individual or organization who has made extraordinary and significant contributions to collegiate recovery. This award recognizes the generous giving, either financial or in-kind, that directly enables collegiate recovery to grow and thrive.
Visionary Award for the Advancement of Collegiate Recovery – Honors an individual or organization who has made groundbreaking and significant contributions to collegiate recovery that have advanced the profession forward in a way that significantly affects students, programs, and institutions.
ARS Awards
Jim Czarniecki Visionary/Pioneer Award – Jim Czarniecki was the CEO of Sobriety High from 1998 to 2005, and he envisioned a sober school in every community. He was a leader in the development of the Association of Recovery Schools and did more than anyone else in his time to develop and promote recovery high schools across the world, including helping start the Massachusetts schools and an effort to launch a school in Russia. He died of cancer in July 2006, just days before the annual conference that year at Texas Tech. ARS dedicated the Jim Czarniecki Visionary Award to honor visionaries and to recognize his immense impact on the establishment of the recovery high school movement. When Minneapolis hosted the conference in 2007, ARS gave the award to Czarniecki, posthumously, and his widow, Kitty, delivered an emotional acceptance speech.
Stacie Mathewson Guardian Angel Award – As the founder of the Stacie Mathewson Foundation, Stacie focused on promoting addiction awareness, recovery, prevention and education at the local, state, and national level, including making a major investment in both recovery high schools and collegiate recovery communities in the 2010s. Stacie was both professionally and personally connected to the cause, witnessing since childhood how addiction disease can tear families apart and span generations. With the loss of a son who first faced the disease of addiction in his early adolescence, Stacie’s commitment to preventing addiction and protecting the health of our youth was unrelenting. A new award was created in 2015 called the Stacie Mathewson Guardian Angel Award to honor an advocate that makes an impact, and she was the first recipient.
AAPG Awards
Visionary Award for the Advancement of Alternative Peer Groups – The Association of Alternative Peer Groups (AAPG) proudly presents the 2025 Visionary Award, honoring individuals that have made groundbreaking contributions to the APG community. This award recognizes exceptional leadership, innovation, and dedication in expanding the APG model and ensuring that young people and families have access to meaningful, peer-driven recovery support.
Award recipients embody:
- A commitment to the mission and values of AAPG
- Significant contributions to the growth and sustainability of APGs
- A spirit of excellence and innovation in addiction recovery
Join us in celebrating those shaping the future of alternative peer groups.
2025 Award Recipients
ARHE Awards
ARHE Lifetime Achievement Award: Lori Holleran Steiker
Collegiate Recovery Champion Award: Kristen Harper
Collegiate Recovery Students of the Year Award: Bryan Sadler & Megan Dobbs
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: John Shiflet & Chelsie Graham
Access, Belonging, & Connection Award: Chesley Kennedy
Collegiate Recovery Award for Outstanding Service: Annette Baldwin
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Onawa LaBelle
Collegiate Recovery Cornerstone Award for Student Support: Blake Schneider
Visionary Award for the Advancement of Collegiate Recovery: Jessica McDaniel
ARHE Community Member of the Year Award: Stephanie Lake
ARHE Community Organization of the Year Award: Imagine Recovery
ARS Awards
Stacie Mathewson Guardian Angel Award – Patty McCarthy
Jim Czarniecki Visionary/Pioneer Award – Ken Simon
AAPG Awards
Visionary Award for the Advancement of Alternative Peer Groups – Becky Ahlgrim & Mariah Fountain
Previous Award Recipients
2024 Award Recipients
ARHE Lifetime Achievement Award: Vincent Sanchez
Access, Belonging, & Connection Award: Ayesha Al-Akhdar
Collegiate Recovery Champion Award: Angie Bryan
Collegiate Recovery Award for Outstanding Service: Jessica Estok
Collegiate Recovery Students of the Year Award: Andrew Chiala & Ellie Morris
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Dawn Kepler
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Marci Berney
Collegiate Recovery Cornerstone Award for Student Support: Aaron Blankenship
Visionary Award for the Advancement of Collegiate Recovery: Chris Perry & the Jamie Daniels Foundation
Collegiate Recovery Community Organization of the Year Award: Anna Trevino & P.O.W.E.R.
Collegiate Recovery Philanthropists of the Year: Michael Ervin & Coal River Coffee
2023 Award Recipients
Access, Belonging, & Connection Award: Dr. Evelyn Vázquez
Collegiate Recovery Students of the Year Award: Jordan Jurinsky & Syd Danzinger
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Mitzi Averette & Tre’Sean Cooks
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Susan Packard
Collegiate Recovery Cornerstone Award for Student Support: Mack Park
Collegiate Recovery Community Member of the Year Award: Dr. Allison Smith
Collegiate Recovery Philanthropists of the Year: Joseph Shaffner
2022 Award Recipients
Access, Belonging, & Connection Award: Dharmakrishna Mirza
Lifetime Achievement Award: Sandy Valentine
Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year Award: Jodi Link & Shawn Rostker
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Morgan Humberger
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Nathan Payne
Collegiate Recovery Cornerstone Award for Student Support: Monica Piercy
Collegiate Recovery Champion Award: Dominiquie “CJ” Clemmons-James
Collegiate Recovery Community Member of the Year Award: The Phoenix – Doug Levy
Collegiate Recovery Philanthropists of the Year: Dr. Tommie Lauer
2021 Award Recipients
Access, Belonging, & Connection Award: Kristine De Jesus
Lifetime Achievement Award: M. Dolores Cimini
Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year Award: Maysa Mohmoud
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Jennifer Cervi
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Susie Mullens
Collegiate Recovery Cornerstone Award for Student Support: Anna Lee Trevino
Collegiate Recovery Champion Award: Independence Blue Cross Foundation
Collegiate Recovery Community Member of the Year Award: Sazha Alexandra Layugan Ramos
Collegiate Recovery Philanthropists of the Year: Kathy and Ray Hayes
Watch the 2021 awards celebration by clicking here.
2020 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Meri Shadley
Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year Award: Ali Clements
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Lilly Ettinger
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Shauntelle Hammonds
Collegiate Recovery Cornerstone Award for Student Support: Jonathan Lofgren
Collegiate Recovery Champion Award: Patrice Salmeri
Collegiate Recovery Community Member of the Year Award: Hannah Fitzpatrick
Collegiate Recovery Philanthropists of the Year: Opiant Pharmaceuticals
2019 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Frank Allison
Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year Award: Dustin Huckabe
Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year Award: Morgan Pettis-Humberger
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Kristina Canfield
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Thomas Guerra
Collegiate Recovery Cornerstone Award for Student Support: Jason Whitney
Collegiate Recovery Champion Award: Tom Hill
Collegiate Recovery Community Member of the Year Award: Diana Williams
Collegiate Recovery Philanthropists of the Year: La Hacienda Treatment Center
2018 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Thomas Kimball
Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year Award: Ashley Wheeler
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Leah Singer
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Keith Murphy
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Richard Baum
Collegiate Recovery Cornerstone Award for Student Support: The Ammon Foundation
Collegiate Recovery Champion Award: Sandy and Mary Winnefeld
Collegiate Recovery Community Member of the Year Award: Angie Rogers
Collegiate Recovery Community Member of the Year Award: Daniel Conroy
Collegiate Recovery Philanthropists of the Year: The Beauchamp Family
The Recovery School Award for Outstanding Contributionsto Recovery Research in an Educational Setting: Danielle Dick, Virginia Commonwealth University
The Visionary Award for Outstanding Contributions to Youth Recovery Research through the Use of Applied Sciences: Patrick Bordnick, Tulane University
The Spectrum Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Advancement of Recovery: Vivek H. Murthy, Former U.S. Surgeon General
The Recovery Researcher of the Year Award: Tom McLellan, Treatment Research Institute (TRI) and University of Pennsylvania
2017 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Matt Statman
Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year Award: Andrew Kiezulas
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Jarmichael Harris
Collegiate Recovery Staff of the Year Award: Anne Thompson Heller
Collegiate Recovery Advocate of the Year Award: Life of Purpose
Collegiate Recovery Community Member of the Year Award: Eileene McRae
2016 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Amy Boyd Austin
Collegiate Recovery Student of the Year Award: Tim Rabolt
Collegiate Recovery Community Member of the Year Award: Tom Edwards
2015 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Lisa Laitman
Outstanding Research Contribution Award: Alexandre B. Laudet
Outstanding Community Service Award: Trent Boozer
Outstanding Graduate Student Academic and Leadership Award: Austin Brown
Outstanding Student Academic and Leadership Award: Jordan Fugate
2014 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Teresa Johnston
Outstanding Graduate Student Academic and Leadership Award: Nick Hayes
Outstanding Student Academic and Leadership Award: Richard Birkett
Outstanding Community Service: Audrey Pusey
2013 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Patrice Salmeri
2012 Award Recipients
Lifetime Achievement Award: Kitty Harris