Again this year, both Howard A. Donnelly Award winners graduated with University Honors. Howard A. Donnelly Award recipients are judged to have made outstanding contributions to the University in the areas of student activities, leadership and service. Amarinder Singh and Tarak Trivedi received the Donnelly Award at Commencement, held May 3 at WSU\'s Tom Adams Field.

Singh and Trivedi are both alumni of MedStart, Honors' 8-year B.S./M.D. program that provides guaranteed admission to the School of Medicine.

Amarinder Singh is a journalism major who chose to approach her pre-medical preparation in a truly interdisciplinary fashion, completing all the courses required for admission to medical school, while at the same time pursuing a degree outside the sciences. Singh, who was student coordinator of MedStart and HealthPro Start, has volunteered at Scholars Day and served as co-president of the Honors Student Association. She has also contributed to Habitat for Humanity build days, presidential events for the Wayne First capital campaign and a program for HIV-positive students at Children's Hospital of Michigan. Away from Honors, Singh is a well-connected journalism student and has taken an active role in writing about palliative medicine in CAPEWAYNE. Blending her interests in journalism, public relations, and medicine, she interned in the WSU School of Medicine public affairs office during the Fall 2006 semester.

It's not unusual to find Tarak Trivedi volunteering somewhere. Trivedi, a graduate of Detroit\'s Cass Technical High School, has welcomed prospective students and their families to Scholars Day and given back to his hometown through the Detroit Fellows Tutoring Project. Through this service-learning endeavor, Trivedi was able to make a real difference in the lives of students at Detroit Jemison Academy. He also volunteers at Detroit Receiving Hospital, St. Patrick's Senior Center and Hannan House. While his commitment to his community is unwavering, Trivedi was engaged with service - and connected to Detroit - all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and gaining acceptance at nine medical schools. Trivedi has been on the Dean's List each semester, was the 2007 Princeton Review Detroit MCAT instructor of the year, and received Outstanding Student Recognition from the South End. He was also treasurer of WSU's chapter of Amnesty International.

Honors exemplifies Wayne State University's commitment to the urban experience and to the enrichment of teaching, service and research. It is the mission of Honors to promote informed, engaged citizenship as the foundation for academic achievement in a diverse global environment.

The program is home to more than 1,300 students who may choose their majors from among the 126 bachelor's degree programs offered by the university.