Two psychology graduate students were chosen to receive the 2014-2015 Graduate Student of the Year award.

Jarryd Willis and Hollie Pellosmaa are the first to receive the award in three years, which was revived after the Graduate Student Senate executive board met last summer. The main criteria for the award was involvement in meetings and volunteering opportunities, said Wasiu Lawal, Graduate Student Senate president.

Willis spoke at TEDxUTA and founded the DREAM Factory, a group which aims to provide assistance and a supportive environment for undocumented students. In 2014, the same year, he also served as the Graduate Student Senate public relations director for the fall semester.

Willis said he always looks for ways to help people that will have tangible results.

“With deferred action, we could actually help these DREAMers stay in the U.S. without fearing deportation,” Willis said. “I felt like I can tangibly help change the lives of my students in my classroom, the lives of my friends, the lives of people in this community.”

Pellosmaa volunteered more than any other senator during the spring 2015 semester, served as captain of the intramural softball team and was a panelist during graduate orientation, Lawal said.

“I really enjoy volunteering on campus,” Pellosmaa said. “I enjoy the experiences, and I get to meet great new people. It’s usually only a few hours a week, but it’s always the highlight of my week.”

She became involved with the Graduate Student Senate three years ago when a lot of changes were happening within the university, Pellosmaa said in an email.

“It was a great way for the graduate students to have our voices heard at a larger scale,” she said. “It also reassured me that my concerns were not unique to my experiences as a graduate student.”

Willis’ voice reached more than just UTA’s ears as a Huffington Post blogger and during his TEDxUTA talk.

While on stage, he talked about emotional pain, self-harm and suicide. He told a story specifically about one of his best friends who had self-harmed.

“When she was feeling a certain way, she would go to her makeup kit and get out her little padded stuff, and underneath the pad was a box cutter and it was just right there all the time, always ready,” he said.

He said it became a routine that grew too comfortable. He would help her clean up, apply an antibiotic cream and go back to watching “Friends” on the couch.

When he left San Antonio, he tried to help her stop, but eventually had to end the friendship.

“She was my best friend, at that point in time it was really hard,” he said.

One way he adjusted to the new environment at UTA after leaving San Antonio was by joining a group he was familiar with and involved with the community, he said.

New or transferring students should volunteer, because it looks good on job and graduate applications, Pellosmaa said.

“What I’ve learned is that everything takes longer than you expected,” she said. “Your time is a very limited resource, and you need to budget it appropriately. And persistence pays off.”

@dbradley1220

dylan.bradley@mavs.uta.edu