CU Boulder graduate receives Diana Award

Jul. 2—University of Colorado Boulder graduate Serene Singh was among more than 300 young people recognized with the 2021 Diana Award this week, which was established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The award is "the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts," according to a news release from the organization.

Singh, who graduated from CU Boulder in 2019, was the first woman from CU to be named a Rhodes Scholar. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in criminology at the University of Oxford, focusing on the treatment of women in the U.S. criminal justice system.

Singh's Diana Award recognizes her work on The Serenity Project, which she founded in 2016 after losing a friend to suicide. The Serenity Project's mission aims to challenge "the increasing stigmatization of mental health and suicide, the shame survivors experience after trauma and a lack of resources for women," according to its website. It offers programs that include a charitable fashion show, year-long curriculum to cultivate confidence and one-on-one mentorship.

Singh is also the 2020-2021 National All-American Miss and is working on a project in Jharkhand, India, to help girls gain self-defense skills and resources to stay in school.

"This award is more than just an honor," Singh said in a statement. "For me, it is an opportunity to connect with passionate and resilient leaders worldwide while also being a reminder of the impact continuing to burn flames of justice and equity has and will always have on others."