2025 NIRSA Wasson Award Winners

This year, UC Davis Campus Recreation was honored to have four students selected for the NIRSA William N. Wasson Student Leadership and Academic Award. These awards recognize exceptional undergraduate and graduate students who set the standard for campus recreation departments across the country. Students from Region VI (comprising Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona and California), were selected—four of them are Aggies! We are honored to congratulate Sophie Bareiss, Rhea-Jane Dignadice, Audrey Sheehan, and Joy Yang as recipients of this year’s NIRSA Wasson Award.

Sophie Bareiss 

Sophie has been an active member of Campus Recreation since her second year at UC Davis. Sophie graduated in winter 2025 with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior, and a minor in Spanish. Sophie has been admitted to the University of St. Augustine (San Marcos Campus) in fall 2025 for the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Within Campus Rec, Sophie worked in the Living Well unit as a certified personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and personal training manager. As a personal trainer, Sophie developed personalized one-on-one coaching sessions with a focus on wellness, inclusivity, and mitigating barriers (intrinsic and extrinsic) to exercise. Sophie was also involved in leading group fitness classes that emphasize skills such as balance, coordination, agility, and strength, including the Fit for Life classes designed for community members aged 55+. Sophie was promoted to the personal training student manager position in her last year with Living Well. As a student leader of personal training, Sophie used a comprehensive approach to managing new personal trainers, facilitated skill-based certification courses and workshops, and engaged with the community by authoring weekly newsletters and social media posts to promote wellbeing.

Sophie is also a leader outside of the Living Well unit; Sophie has extensive volunteer and internship experience in physical therapy programs in the Davis, Sacramento and Bay Area communities. Starting as a volunteer at Post Acute Rehabilitation Center in Danville, California, Sophie created patient engagement activities to increase wellbeing and morale during the COVID-19 pandemic while adhering to safety and infection control measures. Sophie’s background also includes clinical observing and internship experience in various physical therapy programs, including her most recent experience as a physical therapy intern with Physical Edge. While working at Physical Edge, Sophie worked directly with patients and as an assistant to physical therapy specialists to provide continuity of care via the creation exercise routines, documenting session reports and applying therapeutic modalities. Sophie was also actively involved in various UC Davis activities, including pre-physical therapy club, pickleball club, outdoor crew, and Rec Sports.

Rhea-Jane Dignadice 

Rhea-Jane has been an active member of Campus Recreation in the UC Davis Marching Band since 2021 and has served as student director since 2022. Rhea-Jane will graduate in spring 2025 with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. After graduating, Rhea-Jane plans to take a gap year to work as an EMT before applying to medical school. In the marching band, Rhea-Jane has served as both the baritax section leader and a student director of 150 student musicians. Rhea-Jane is actively involved in a variety of marching band committees, including diversity, equity, and inclusion, show planning, arranging and Picnic Day planning. As someone who openly describes themselves as living with a chronic disability, Rhea-Jane was passionate about the opportunity to combine interests in the marching arts with healthcare. In the student director role, Rhea-Jane focused on developing accessibility protocols for students with disabilities or chronic illnesses. Specifically, Rhea-Jane advocated for and initiated accommodations for all marching band students to equitably access all practices and events. Additionally, Rhea-Jane led the marching band “StuD Bud” training program, which teaches members how to conduct, effectively communicate with a large group and develop leadership skills.

Outside of the UC Davis Marching Band, Rhea-Jane has an extensive background in band and marching arts. Rhea-Jane worked with the Drum Major Leadership Academy as an instructor. In this role, Rhea-Jane taught seminars relating to mental and physical health to band staff and student leaders. In summer 2023, Rhea-Jane served as the drum major with the Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps. This world-class drum corps is based in Seattle, Washington and maintains the highest level of marching band competition in the world. Rhea-Jane is also a member of the UC Davis University Campus Band. Rhea-Jane’s notable awards include J. Price Glittinger Award, Jonathan Youngs Memorial Award, Drum Corps International World Class Semifinalist, and UC Davis Adam Choy Memorial Red Hot Award. Rhea-Jane also serves as a tour guide in UC Davis Undergraduate Admissions.

Audrey Sheehan 

Audrey has been an active member of Campus Recreation since 2021 and will graduate in spring 2025 with a degree in Clinical Nutrition. Audrey has been admitted to Cal State San Bernardino in fall 2025 for the Nutrition Science graduate program with aspirations of becoming a pediatric dietician. As part of the Living Well unit, Audrey has extensive experience in a variety of roles, including Living Well Center attendant, group exercise instructor, small group trainer, group exercise manager, and personal trainer. In all of these roles, Audrey effectively communicates with clients regarding personal training, group exercise and nutrition peer counseling, and continuously collaborates with Living Well student staff to deliver exceptional exercise and training classes. Audrey facilitates group exercise classes with 15–35 individuals in cardio strength and total body strengthening workout formats. Audrey specializes in cardiorespiratory fitness with the incorporation of strength building to ensure sufficient regression and progressions, and provides modifications for individuals of all fitness abilities. As a small group trainer, Audrey trains groups of five to eight individuals in Olympic weightlifting, with special emphasis on exercises including snatch, power clean, and jerk. Audrey has served as the student programmer and student director of the dance and martial arts programs and is the current group exercise student director, in which she creates quarterly class programming, collaborates with all Living Well staff, and documents instructor class data. Most recently, Audrey moved into the role of personal trainer. In this position, Audrey works one-on-one with clients to create customized training plans, assess client postural stability and flexibility, and deliver safe and efficient workout plans.

When not working, Audrey serves as a volunteer and research intern in various nutrition-related roles. Currently, Audrey volunteers as a nutrition peer counselor through the Living Well unit. In this role, Audrey works alongside an established registered dietitian to counsel patrons on nutrition queries and develop community outreach information in blog posts and newsletters. Audrey has experience as a research intern in multiple UC Davis labs, the nonprofit sector, and Sutter Davis Hospital, all with a focus in nutrition. Audrey holds certifications as a ServSafe Food Handler, ServSafe Food Protection Manager, ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Group Exercise, and USA Olympic Weightlifting Level One Coach. Additionally, Audrey enjoys volunteering with the Newman Catholic Center in Davis, CA.

Joy Yang 

Joy has been an active member of Campus Recreation since 2022 and will graduate in spring 2025 with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Joy currently works as the competitive sports student manager in the competitive sports unit. As a student manager, Joy manages sport clubs and intramural sports programs for UC Davis students and staff. Joy’s role includes oversight of Sport Clubs as well as Rec Sports programming. Joy assists in the management of four of the 39 sport clubs, including scheduling and facility management for home games and practices. As a student leader in Rec Sports, Joy hosts two learn-to-play workshops tailored towards new and beginner-level play for a variety of recreational sports, including badminton and ultimate frisbee. As part of this program, Joy developed appropriate lesson plans and drills to enhance participants’ understanding and enjoyment of each offered sport. Joy also assists the unit with overall hiring, orientation, and training for new student hires. 

Joy is also a leader outside of Campus Recreation and maintains a considerable working background in the medical field across a variety of roles. Joy is part of leadership for Willow Clinic, a student-run clinic based in Sacramento that serves the unhoused population. This clinic provides free medical services and social referrals that support the community’s holistic health. Joy has worked as an emergency medicine technician after acquiring the certification from the UC Davis Fire Department in 2023. In this role, Joy provides medical care and first aid to patients on scene and during transport to healthcare facilities. Joy assesses patient conditions and determines necessary medical procedures, documents patient records, vital signs and response to interventions.

Beyond the medical field, Joy works as a chemistry tutor for the UC Davis Academic Assistance and Tutoring Center for individual athletes and tutees at the library drop-in. Joy enjoys taking part in the tutees’ learning journey by providing guidance and support. Outside of the academic setting, Joy is an active member of the badminton club and serves as the club’s secretary. Joy loves playing badminton and assists the club with traveling events and onboarding new members.