The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards
Daniel A. Bess ’24 & Catherine G. Cable ’24 - 2024 Student Recipients
Daniel A. Bess
“If you don’t know Daniel A. Bess by name, you surely know his face and smile,” wrote a nominator commenting on Mr. Bess’ impact on the W&M community. In heart, mind and conduct, Mr. Bess embodies the Sullivan Award’s ideals of generosity and care for others.
Mr. Bess graduates with a major in finance and has accepted a job offer from his internship at Morgan Stanley. As a nominator commented, his accomplishment “speaks volumes about his academic prowess and readiness for the professional world.”
Inspired by an unwavering commitment to serve his fellow students, Mr. Bess stepped into leadership roles in organizations across campus. As a resident assistant, Mr. Bess “has displayed remarkable dedication to supporting and guiding his peers, fostering an inclusive and supportive living environment.” Mr. Bess’ active involvement in the Student Assembly, notably as a Class of 2024 senator and Finance Committee and Organizational Budget Allocation Committee member, showcases his aptitude for collaboration and advocacy.
Mr. Bess supported his peers as a President’s Aide to William & Mary President Katherine Rowe. A nominator shared that his “adept communication of student concerns and thoughtful proposals for solutions garnered him respect and trust from both students and faculty alike.”
Determined to use his voice to affect positive change, Mr. Bess won the state Oratorical Competition presented by Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. His speech centered on how education can uplift troubled communities. Mr. Bess’ care for his community led him to mentor middle schoolers, support voter registration drives, work in the community gardens and volunteer with the First Baptist Church and Let Freedom Ring Foundation.
As a nominator wrote, “Whether it’s reading to elementary school children or empowering middle and high school students to pursue education, Daniel consistently demonstrates his dedication to making a positive impact.” Nominators write that Daniel Bess sets an example of humanity for others to follow.
Catherine G. Cable
Catherine G. Cable is — in the words of one nominator — “fiercely loyal, yet approachable and kind — a combination that allowed her to shine as a leader.”
Ms. Cable graduates with a bachelor of arts in international relations and a minor in data science, and membership in Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. Nominators praise her warmth and enthusiasm as well as her keen intellect. While on campus, Ms. Cable has served as a campus tour guide and performed in an a capella group. Her peers, colleagues and professors appreciate Ms. Cable’s hard work and generosity. As an orientation area director, one nominator notes that she would “go beyond her responsibilities to help improve others’ college experiences,” regularly surpassing her own duties to help where needed. That nominator said, “Catherine met challenges by staying true to her guiding principles.”
Another nominator described Ms. Cable as someone who has always done “what was right instead of what was easy.” While vice president of communications of Delta Gamma, Ms. Cable performed a systematic review of the social sorority’s by-laws and “spent countless hours modernizing them,” yielding many operational improvements.
Ms. Cable dives into research with curiosity. She led a team at the Geolab, where her “qualities of leadership and character have made a massive impact on what her teams write about.” Ms. Cable’s research agenda prioritizes justice around the world. She supervised a team of twelve undergraduate researchers on an article detailing the impacts to Ukrainian coal mines by the recent war with Russia. The article was published on intel.gov, an Intelligence Community site — out of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and amassed over 300,000 views.
Ms. Cable has also worked closely with William & Mary’s American Bosnian Collaboration. The program selects four to seven students each summer to teach English and nonviolent communication skills to teenagers in Bosnia. Ms. Cable fundraised to attend and spent a summer instructing Bosnian youth. Her nominator shared that “she opened up dialogues about course themes that were unique or challenging. She went above and beyond to truly understand what the course themes mean in a real-world setting.”
