Starks Earns University's Fisher Memorial Award
December 08, 2022 | Softball
The award is given "to a Princeton senior who best exemplifies the qualities for which Mr. Fisher is remembered," including "an entrepreneurial spirit, zest for life, love of people, and loyalty to Princeton through their work in the realm of civic engagement."
Starks was also recently announced as a finalist for the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup.
On the field, Starks was a first-team All-Ivy League honoree and honorable mention All-ECAC last season as an outfielder, leading the team with a .355 batting average and 54 hits while playing in all 46 games and starting 45 as Princeton returned to the top of the Ivy League and to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017.Â
Starks is a co-founder and co-president of the Asian Student-Athletes of Princeton (ASAP), helping to form the organization during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. With ASAP, Starks helps to secure funding for projects and gatherings, recruit new members, lead the selection process for leadership positions within the group, and also serves as an advisor to athletic department administration toward its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) objectives.
Starks is a Student-Athlete Service Council representative for the softball team, organizing and encouraging participation in service events around campus and in the community, and was on the team's Softball Leadership Council last year, representing the junior class and leading conversations with the coaches and her teammates on culture, integrity, and problem solving, influencing an environment of positivity and inclusivity around the team. She is also a trained Student-Athlete Wellness Leader, tasked with recognizing early signs of distress in teammates and peers and having knowledge to direct them to the right campus resources.
Extending her passion for service beyond Princeton, Starks is Co-President of the Princeton Disability Awareness Board, organizing a spring community carnival and other events to educate others about disabilities and access. Honoring her leadership in the community, Starks was selected for Service Focus, a yearlong opportunity to partner strategically with professors, non-profits, and student groups to increase service engagement in and around the campus. She is a member of the New Jersey Best Buddies chapter that serves those with special needs in Princeton. She is a student mentor in the Academic Success Today program, coordinating mentor-mentee match ups between Princeton students and local community school aged children.
Starks, a student in Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs and pursuing a certificate in Asian American Studies, was elected by her teammates to serve as one of the captains for the 2023 season, which is set to begin in February.Â
The Pace Center's announcement on the award is available here.
