Pickle Citizenship Award
The J.J. "Jake" Pickle Citizenship Award is presented annually to a UT Austin student whose contributions to campus life exemplify the high standards of leadership and service that were the hallmarks of the life and career of Congressman Pickle. It is an endowed student award created by the University Unions Advisory Council in 1999. It is presented annually to a student at UT Austin who makes cumulative, notable contributions to campus life and epitomizes the values of Congressman Pickle. The recipient is awarded $5,000, a certificate and an autographed copy of Congressman Pickle’s autobiography "Jake."
The 2026 recipient is Angelica Sharma. Originally from Katy, Texas, Angelica has woven service, innovation and leadership into every part of her UT experience.
Through Hearts for the Homeless, Angelica helps provide free blood pressure and glucose screenings, wound care and vital health resources to people experiencing homelessness in Austin. After seeing firsthand that blood pressure checks alone were not enough, she trained as an EMT, expanded services to include wound care and blood sugar screenings, built partnerships with local nonprofits and grew the organization’s reach from two to seven screening sites. She has led efforts to provide bus passes, clinic information cards, winter care packages and culturally informed Spanish-language outreach that centers dignity and trust.
A computer science major, Angelica also leads ECLAIR, UT’s AI and robotics club, where she helped grow membership, launch student-led projects and create outreach events that inspire future engineers. Her work reflects the spirit of the J. “Jake” Pickle Citizenship Award through integrity, compassion and a deep commitment to public service.
Pal-Make A Difference Award
The Pal-Make A Difference Award is presented annually to a UT Austin student whose individual program or initiative has made a significant contribution to campus life or the broader community. It is an endowed award, established in 2006 by University Unions Advisory Council member Jaspreet Singh Pal (BBA ’95) to encourage university leadership and public service. The recipient is awarded $1,500 and a certificate.
The 2026 recipient is Harshpreet Kaur. Originally from Frisco, Texas, Harshpreet has used her time at UT to strengthen campus life through leadership in Campus Events + Entertainment (E+E) and Student Government.
From her first semester, she sought out opportunities to plan events, manage budgets and collaborate with peers, steadily building the soft skills that will support her future as a physician, including communication, empathy, problem-solving and teamwork.
Early on, she helped reimagine Chillfest into a multiroom experience that earned the Star Award for Innovation, then moved into officer and chair roles where she oversaw events, mentored coordinators and worked closely with campus partners. Under her leadership, Unwind events have expanded across campus, connected students with resources and created welcoming spaces to relax and build community. Her ability to contribute across multiple committees is impressive.
Her impact extends beyond E+E through her work with the Mental Health Agency in Student Government, where she helped provide culturally informed mental health resources and programming. Harshpreet’s dedication to service, community building and student well-being exemplifies the spirit of the PAL – Make a Difference Award.
William Andrew Smith, Jr. GRASP Award Recipients
The Grants for Active Student Participants (GRASP) endowment was created in 2006 through the generosity of Union's Executive Board members and was named in honor of past Unions' Executive Director Andy Smith in 2013. $1,500 is awarded to each recipient. The purpose of the William Andrew Smith, Jr. GRASP Award is to encourage and facilitate continued participation, particularly by freshman and sophomore students, in University Unions committees and programs. It provides awards to students who have demonstrated leadership qualities, an enthusiasm for campus citizenship and solid academic performance.
The 2026 recipients of the GRASP award are Jackson Burford and Sienna Rossmiller. The awardees impressed the committee with their leadership, commitment and enthusiasm through their work with the University Unions’ Campus Events + Entertainment organization. These students exhibit the core values of UT Austin, and the selection committee believes they will continue to positively contribute to the Unions and create opportunities for their peers.
Stipends are awarded yearly to students who have demonstrated leadership qualities, an enthusiasm for campus citizenship, and who, for various reasons, might be unable to participate without support.