The Erinn Phelan Award, instituted in 2011, is granted to the delegate at BUSUN who demonstrates the greatest commitment to the empowerment of women.

This very special award is given in honor of Erinn Phelan, a former BUSUN Secretary-General. Erinn was working as a coordinator in Mayor Bloomberg’s NYC Civic Corps when she was the victim of a hit-and-run accident. She was at that time accompanied by her close friend, Alma Guerrero, who is also a former BUSUN Secretary-General.

Sadly, Erinn recently passed away on April 16, 2022, after a long struggle with her injuries from the accident. BUSUN XXVIII is the third time we will be awarding the Erinn Phelan Award since her death.

We at BUSUN hope that this award and Erinn’s incredible example and memory will serve to motivate all delegates to deepen their awareness of and commitment to women's empowerment.

The Erinn Phelan Award is presented to the delegate that best embodies the following qualities: visionary leadership, dedication, and unwavering commitment to service. Award selection will be based on the following criteria:

1. All interested delegates must submit a current resume.

2. Applicants must also submit a 500-word response to the following prompt:
   “Describe a time when you actively worked to empower others, particularly women or marginalized communities, in a leadership or service capacity. What challenges did you face, how did you address them, and what impact did your actions have on the individuals or community you were serving? Additionally, reflect on how this experience has shaped your understanding of leadership, service, and your commitment to advancing gender equity or empowerment.”

Interested delegates must submit the required materials through this form by Friday, November 14th at 11:59pm.

Applicants chosen to be finalists will be offered a 15-minute interview with the Secretaries-General during BUSUN weekend. The Secretaries-General will also consult with committee chairs to review candidates' performance in committee.

The winner of this award will be announced at the Closing Ceremony and will receive $500 to be donated to the 501(c)(3) chariable organization of their choice. This year, BUSUN will also make an additional donation to the traumatic brain injury unit at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in honor of Erinn.