The Lisa Ann Coole Award was established in 1999 to honor the memory of an extraordinary young woman and to inspire Foundation Fellows to translate into their lives the compassion, joy, courage, and excellence that defined Lisa’s presence in the Fellowship, at UGA, and in her communities both in Georgia and in Illinois.

Lisa was a model Foundation Fellow. She graduated from The University of Georgia magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in biology in 1997. She was a 19-time All-American swimmer, won two NCAA titles, and was selected as the 1997 NCAA Woman of the Year. Lisa had just completed her first year of veterinary medicine at the University of Illinois-Champaign when she died as a result of injuries received in an automobile accident. In 1999, she was inducted into the UGA Athletic Association Circle of Honor, the highest tribute paid to former Bulldog athletes and coaches.

2010 Recipient – Betsy Allen

Armed with a Blackberry and Twitter, Betsy Allen is dependable, accomplished, and courageous. “Betsy is our chief organizer and the glue that holds us together,” says one of her classmates. “She goes above and beyond the responsibilities she graciously takes upon herself. Perhaps most impressively, she gets along with and befriends everyone. Betsy makes every member of our class feel welcome in any room she walks into. Her passion for helping others makes her the ideal recipient of the 2010 Lisa Ann Coole Award.”

Betsy entered UGA to become a doctor. She graduates to Teach for America in Louisiana, where she will also work toward a master’s degree in social work. While her career path has changed, her vocation will forever be the betterment of the world. Says another Fellow, “Betsy combines the genuine kindness and the compassion for others which Lisa was known for. She finds energy in giving of herself to others, whether it be through organizing students for a Fellows event, teaching English in India and Tanzania, helping a friend prepare for an interview, bringing MATHCOUNTS to every middle school in Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties, or just lending a quiet, compassionate ear when you need to talk.”

Previous Recipients

2009    Elizabeth Godbey
2008    Anant Mandawat
2007    Helen Smith
2006    Chloe Thompson
2005    Krisda Chaiyachati
2004    Vanessa Reynolds
2003    Chris Gibson
2002    Cathy Lee and Tina Rakkit
2001    Laquesha Sanders and Kyle Wingfield
2000    Bronson Lee
1999    Lacy Feldman and Torre Mills