G.R.I.T. Award

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Our dear friend, Jackie Landram, was one of the most inspirational people we've ever met. She truly lived her life with GRIT every single day. For those of you that don’t know, Jackie battled cancer for seven years and did so with Grace, Resilience, Integrity and Tenacity. 

Jackie was Graceful….she was kind in the face of unimaginable challenges. Dealing with the things she had to, it would be understandable if she was mad at the world, but she wasn’t, she was kind to everyone. Those of you who knew her probably remember her big warm smile and positive energy. She lived in a way that made those around her want to be better and do better themselves.

She was Resilient…she would bounce back from cancer treatments and chemo faster than expected. She would do anything she could just to be there for her son, for her family and for her students here at Penn. She would always come back, nothing could break her spirit.

She had Integrity…a cancer diagnosis has the potential to change a person and cause them to act in ways they might not otherwise act, but Jackie never waivered. She was always true to herself and her strong moral values.

She was Tenacious…simply put she never gave up. This was best exemplified when she didn't have the physical strength to stand on her own, but still came to school and taught her classes with the aid of a walker. It was painful and difficult for her to stand and walk, but she never complained and she just kept moving.

Let’s honor Jackie by trying to live our lives with a little more GRIT and when faced with challenges, good and bad, remember to be kind and just keep moving. In the spirit of honoring Jackie Landram we established the GRIT award to be given to students who demonstrate the qualities of Grace Resilience Integrity and Tenacity.