CCJS senior and Undergraduate Honors student Camila Valeria Soler has been named the 2024 University Medal recipient by UMD President Daryll Pines.

The University Medal is given to the most outstanding graduate of each academic year as recognition for academic distinction, extraordinary character and extracurricular contributions to the University and the larger public. It is the highest honor the university bestows upon a graduate.

Soler is a double major in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and Psychology and a student in the two-year CCJS Undergraduate Honors Program. Throughout her undergraduate career, Soler has maintained a GPA of 4.00 and is praised by her professors as committed to excellence both in academics and service.

“I have come to know Camila as a highly motivated individual, teeming with curiosity and a desire to get things right…exuding the qualities that are characteristic of a student with great potential to engage in increasingly rigorous studies,” said Dr. Bianca Bersani, a CCJS associate professor who has served as the Undergraduate Honors Director from 2019-2024.

Soler’s honors thesis, titled “Does Receptivity to Immigrants Correlate with Sentencing Disparities for the Latine Population?: A State-By-State Study,” thoughtfully examines the issue of “crimmigration” using state-level data and drawing upon the complex aspects of structural inequalities, ethnic stereotypes, and documented status.

"I am extremely grateful for having the opportunity to be a part of this amazing program that pushed me intellectually to research a topic that I am so passionate about," Soler said of her time in the CCJS honors program. "I am very thankful for Dr. Bersani, Casey [Kindall], and the entire cohort. I could not have done it without all the support and collaboration!"

Bersani stated that Soler has been continuously enthusiastic about immigration-related issues not only through the research process but also in her engagement as an intern with outside organizations such as the Modi Law Firm in Houston Texas, and the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program.

Further, Soler’s excellence extends beyond academic metrics to commitment to service. Soler helped found the Latina Pathways program focused on education, advocacy, and fundraising for Latina immigrants at the University of Maryland. She also works towards expanding this support to the broader community and other universities. Additionally, she has been engaged in leadership with the pre-law Fraternity Phi Alpha Delta, served as a UMD tour guide leader, and has been a member of Maryland Images.

“Camila’s efforts during her time at the University of Maryland demonstrate clearly what it means to be a strong academic citizen. She is committed to her studies as is evidenced by her strong GPA and her honors thesis project,” Bersani wrote of Soler. “But she is just as committed to serving the community and working in ways to advance the well-being of marginalized communities…her strengths position her well for advanced learning in law school and will undoubtedly contribute to her continued success in representing those with diverse backgrounds and experiences.”

Soler will be recognized at the in-person Commencement ceremony on May 20, 2024, receiving a gold medal and a cash prize.

Congratulations, Camila!