2022 Aloian Memorial Scholarship winners announced

The Harvard Alumni Association has named Stephany Zhivotovsky ’23 of Cabot House and Adam Aleksic ’23 of Kirkland House as this year’s David and Mimi Aloian Memorial Scholars.

Each year the Aloian Memorial Scholarship is given to two juniors who demonstrate thoughtful leadership and who improve the quality of life in Harvard Houses. The award is given by the HAA in honor of David and Mary (Mimi) Aloian, faculty deans of Quincy House from 1981 to 1986. During their time at Harvard, the Aloians helped the Houses create a stronger community by incorporating an environment for social and intellectual growth. David also served as executive director of the HAA from 1978 to 1986. During his time, he transformed the HAA to be a more inclusive place. The Aloian Scholarship is given to commemorate the life and achievements of David and Mimi and to highlight the important community House life creates.

Stephany Zhivotovsky ’23 of Zionsville, Indiana, embodies Cabot House’s motto, “sempre cor,” by advocating for her most vulnerable peers and building community through social support. Striving to create a sense of family in Cabot, she hosts entertaining and enriching events as wellness chair of the House Committee and as a worship mission leader for Harvard College Faith and Action. Zhivotovsky also works with Harvard Synapse to provide emotional support to traumatic brain injury patients as a peer support group director and develops friendships with adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities as co-president and managing director of Harvard’s Best Buddies program. Her faculty deans note, “She embodies the kind of resilience, hope, and brilliance that lend everyone around her purpose.”

Adam Aleksic ’23 of Albany, New York, spearheaded creative and joyful ways to bring Kirkland House together amidst the COVID-19 shutdown. Along with friends, he started “Week Week” — a fun new House tradition in which a theme for the week is chosen for all of Kirkland to celebrate through related events, activities, and tasks. He also writes, acts, and directs Kirkland Drama Society’s comedies and organizes countless social events as social chair of the Harvard Quiz Bowl team and of the Science Fiction Association. Beyond House life, Aleksic founded the 300+ member Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society and coordinates guest speakers for political and linguistic discussions on campus. His faculty deans note, “His peers look to him as the leader of the Kirkland social community — he is easily the most recognizable person in the House and readily lends a listening ear to anyone who needs it.”