Elaina Smolin ‘24 (CCS Writing & Literature) Receives 2024 CCS Sara Sterphone Student Service Award

Elaina Smolin ‘24 (CCS Writing & Literature) is the 2024 CCS Sara Sterphone Student Service Award recipient which honors graduating students who have made significant and positive contributions to the CCS community at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Announced at CCS Commencement, this award is given in loving memory of Sara Sterphone, a dedicated and compassionate academic advisor at the College who profoundly impacted students believing strongly in belongingness and community before her passing in 2021.

“Throughout her time here, Elaina has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to her fellow students, embodying the values of kindness, empathy, and support.”

—CCS Interim Dean Timothy Sherwood

Elaina is known by her peers for her kindness and willingness to help others. One nominating student described her as a warm and supportive presence at the College. CCS Interim Dean Timothy Sherwood noted that Elaina creates “a sense of belonging and camaraderie among her peers,” continuing, “and her selfless contributions to various College activities and her outstanding work as a student researcher serve as a shining example of her commitment to excellence and community.”

In addition to her dedicated service to the CCS community, Elaina has made significant contributions as managing editor of the Spectrum Literary Journal, the longest running literary journal in the University of California system. Under her guidance, the journal has flourished, showcasing diverse and innovative literary works from around the world, including Elaina’s own work on the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) experience. Through her creative nonfiction writing, she has offered a unique perspective on the nuances of living with this disorder.

Elaina accomplished significant academic achievements and contributed to the intellectual life on campus during her time at UCSB, and is a role model for current and future students. In Spring 2021, Elaina received second prize in the CCS Most Excellent Narrative Prose. During the 2022-2023 academic year, she was selected as a Raab Writing Fellow in the Writing Program in the Division of Humanity and Fine Arts (HFA). During summer 2023, she received a CCS Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and presented the results of her summer creative project at the 2023 Research and Creative Activities Conference (RACA-CON) the following November. Announced at CCS All-College in September 2023, she was one of three 2023 Summer Travel Writing Contest awardees. In addition, Elaina was selected from a strong pool of UCSB undergraduate writers as one of three inaugural 2023-2024 M. Garren Tinney Writing Fellows who each worked diligently during Winter and Spring quarters on extensive, book-length projects with faculty mentorship. She was the 2024 Ellen Reid Writing Award 2nd Runner Up at the Writing Program for her work in the Professional Writing Minor program.  Elaina  benefited from a CCS Traveling Undergraduate Research Fund (TURF) award to complement her passion for writing. 

The CCS faculty and staff congratulate Elaina on this well-deserved honor. 

Watch 2024 CCS Commencement ceremony.

Learn about Sara Sterphone, CCS Sara Sterphone Student Service Award, and the Sara Sterphone Memorial Fund.