2025 Graduate Sisi Gomez Receives Mazzuchelli Award

Student leader and two-sport athlete Sisi Gomez is the recipient of Dominican University’s prestigious 2025 Mazzuchelli Award.

Named for Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, OP, the award recognizes a senior who has embraced the university’s mission and values while supporting the four pillars of prayer, study, community and service.

During her time at Dominican, Gomez served as a torch leader, resident assistant and student government senator. She was a four-year member of the women’s soccer team and played on the women’s basketball team for two years.

A psychology major and first-generation college student, Gomez has worked in and learned from Dominican’s Complex Trauma Research Laboratory and volunteered with Erie Neighborhood House, a social service nonprofit supporting immigrant and low-income Chicago families.

Gomez said she plans to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology, specializing in child and adolescent psychology with a focus on trauma-informed therapy for marginalized youth.

Receiving the Mazzuchelli award “truly means the world to me,” she said.

“It reassures me that the work I have been doing is both meaningful and impactful to those around me,” Gomez said. “It validates my efforts and motivates me to continue making a difference in the lives of others. As someone who was once a shy young girl, it’s incredibly empowering to know that I have been able to create a positive impact across my university community.”

Gomez called her time as a student orientation leader “the most meaningful experience” at Dominican and one that helped her grow as a leader and mentor.

“It is truly beautiful to witness students arrive on their first day, often unsure and reserved, and then watch them grow into confident, compassionate human beings,” she said.

The recipient of the Mazzuchelli Award is nominated by faculty, staff and students.