Photo by: Northwestern Athletics
Michelle Ferrante Wins Second Annual Elaine & Irving Kabiller Dedication Award
6/11/2024 9:50:00 AM | General, David G. Kabiller NU for Life Program
EVANSTON, Ill. – Michelle Ferrante, mother of Wildcats wrestling student-athlete David Ferrante, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Elaine and Irving Kabiller Dedication Award, Northwestern Athletics and Recreation announced Tuesday.
Thanks to the incredible vision and generosity of University Trustee David G. Kabiller '85, '87 MBA, Northwestern announced during the fall of 2022 that it will annually recognize the people most central to building the foundation of student-athlete success. In honor of Kabiller's parents, the Elaine and Irving Kabiller Dedication Endowment will acknowledge one Wildcat's parents, guardians or caregivers who embody the core values of David Kabiller's mother and father.
In his nomination, David Ferrante wrote of his mother: "I am nominating my mom for this award because she is my biggest supporter, and in her words 'your number one fan.' I also call her the 'Wildcat Super Fan.' My mom and I are incredibly close and we talk every day. She is the first one I call after practice, and she hears it all, the good days and the bad/tough days. She constantly supports me and always believes in me and I would not be the same athlete without her support. I would not be the same man today without her in my life."
"I am a proud, proud mother of David," said Michelle Ferrante. "We loved being supportive and being able to be there for David and all of his Northwestern teammates." Upon learning about being named the Elaine & Irving Kabiller Dedication Award recipient, she reflected, "I am very humbled and honored. I love Northwestern and Northwestern Wrestling. It means a lot to me to earn an award like this. It is super special."
Each year Northwestern opens the nomination process to all its nearly 500 student-athletes to submit recommendations of a parent or caregiver who embodies the following characteristics of Elaine and Irving Kabiller: strength, courage and grace; loyalty and devotion; intelligence and judgment; humor and authenticity; kindness, compassion and tenacity. Nominations are reviewed by an award committee and the honoree is celebrated at the annual N Club student-athlete graduation ceremony, held at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Proceeds from the endowment will be awarded to the honoree's student's sport, to be used at the head coach's discretion.
"I wanted to create this award in memory of my parents and to honor their endless love and guidance," said Kabiller. "I hope this award can serve as a reminder to our student-athletes to appreciate the love and sacrifices our parents and caregivers have made to help us get to where we are today."
"On behalf of everyone at NUDAR, I would like to thank David Kabiller for his ongoing and tireless support of our student-athletes," said Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Dr. Derrick Gragg. "A special congratulations to Michelle Ferrante on receiving this exceptional award. The parents, guardians and caregivers of our student-athletes are all extremely important and valued members of our extended Wildcat family."
The Elaine and Irving Kabiller Dedication Endowment is just the latest example of David Kabiller's remarkable support of Northwestern and its students. In recognition of a multimillion-dollar commitment, the University named the David G. Kabiller NU for Life Program in his honor in 2019.
A key differentiator for Northwestern Athletics and Recreation, the Kabiller NU for Life Program empowers Wildcats to think about how their unique experiences as student-athletes at a premier research university translate into their lives after graduation. This is accomplished through a comprehensive, four-year curriculum that helps students develop professional skills, explore different career fields and trajectories, access job and internship opportunities, and build their networks. Through personalized career coaching, alumni mentoring, employer outreach and training in job-search skills, program participants gain the tools and confidence to succeed post-graduation — whether in their sport, an advanced degree program or the workforce.
Since launching twelve years ago, the Kabiller NU for Life Program has become an integral component of the student-athlete experience at Northwestern. More than 1,650 student-athlete alumni across every sport and undergraduate major have participated in the program, with more than 1,200 participants benefiting from the program throughout their entire undergraduate career. Alumni engagement in the program also has grown exponentially, with more graduates serving as mentors, shadowing hosts and employers.
An alumnus of both Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and Kellogg School of Management, Kabiller was himself a student-athlete. As an undergraduate, he received an athletic scholarship to play tennis at Northwestern and was named to the Big Ten Conference Academic All-Conference team. He conceived of and ultimately endowed the Kabiller NU for Life Program to help educate students about their professional options and to inspire them through alumni mentoring.
In addition to his service on the University's Board of Trustees, Kabiller was co-chair of the New York Regional Campaign Committee for We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern, chair of the Nanotechnology Executive Council and a life member of the Kellogg Global Advisory Board. A generous and longtime benefactor to Northwestern, Kabiller is a platinum-level member of NU Loyal, Northwestern's giving society recognizing consistent annual giving to the University, with 25 consecutive years of giving.
Kabiller is also a passionate advocate for nanotechnology research at Northwestern. In 2015, he introduced the international Kabiller awards, which biennially recognize two top scholars — one pioneer and one rising star — in the field of nanoscience and nanomedicine. In 2018, Kabiller endowed both honors, ensuring that this recognition continues in perpetuity. The 2019 awards honored Northwestern professor Chad Mirkin with the $250,000 Kabiller Prize, the world's largest monetary award for achievement in nanotechnology, and Molly Stevens of Imperial College London with the $10,000 Kabiller Young Investigator Award.
Thanks to the incredible vision and generosity of University Trustee David G. Kabiller '85, '87 MBA, Northwestern announced during the fall of 2022 that it will annually recognize the people most central to building the foundation of student-athlete success. In honor of Kabiller's parents, the Elaine and Irving Kabiller Dedication Endowment will acknowledge one Wildcat's parents, guardians or caregivers who embody the core values of David Kabiller's mother and father.
In his nomination, David Ferrante wrote of his mother: "I am nominating my mom for this award because she is my biggest supporter, and in her words 'your number one fan.' I also call her the 'Wildcat Super Fan.' My mom and I are incredibly close and we talk every day. She is the first one I call after practice, and she hears it all, the good days and the bad/tough days. She constantly supports me and always believes in me and I would not be the same athlete without her support. I would not be the same man today without her in my life."
"I am a proud, proud mother of David," said Michelle Ferrante. "We loved being supportive and being able to be there for David and all of his Northwestern teammates." Upon learning about being named the Elaine & Irving Kabiller Dedication Award recipient, she reflected, "I am very humbled and honored. I love Northwestern and Northwestern Wrestling. It means a lot to me to earn an award like this. It is super special."
Each year Northwestern opens the nomination process to all its nearly 500 student-athletes to submit recommendations of a parent or caregiver who embodies the following characteristics of Elaine and Irving Kabiller: strength, courage and grace; loyalty and devotion; intelligence and judgment; humor and authenticity; kindness, compassion and tenacity. Nominations are reviewed by an award committee and the honoree is celebrated at the annual N Club student-athlete graduation ceremony, held at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Proceeds from the endowment will be awarded to the honoree's student's sport, to be used at the head coach's discretion.
"I wanted to create this award in memory of my parents and to honor their endless love and guidance," said Kabiller. "I hope this award can serve as a reminder to our student-athletes to appreciate the love and sacrifices our parents and caregivers have made to help us get to where we are today."
"On behalf of everyone at NUDAR, I would like to thank David Kabiller for his ongoing and tireless support of our student-athletes," said Combe Family Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Dr. Derrick Gragg. "A special congratulations to Michelle Ferrante on receiving this exceptional award. The parents, guardians and caregivers of our student-athletes are all extremely important and valued members of our extended Wildcat family."
The Elaine and Irving Kabiller Dedication Endowment is just the latest example of David Kabiller's remarkable support of Northwestern and its students. In recognition of a multimillion-dollar commitment, the University named the David G. Kabiller NU for Life Program in his honor in 2019.
A key differentiator for Northwestern Athletics and Recreation, the Kabiller NU for Life Program empowers Wildcats to think about how their unique experiences as student-athletes at a premier research university translate into their lives after graduation. This is accomplished through a comprehensive, four-year curriculum that helps students develop professional skills, explore different career fields and trajectories, access job and internship opportunities, and build their networks. Through personalized career coaching, alumni mentoring, employer outreach and training in job-search skills, program participants gain the tools and confidence to succeed post-graduation — whether in their sport, an advanced degree program or the workforce.
Since launching twelve years ago, the Kabiller NU for Life Program has become an integral component of the student-athlete experience at Northwestern. More than 1,650 student-athlete alumni across every sport and undergraduate major have participated in the program, with more than 1,200 participants benefiting from the program throughout their entire undergraduate career. Alumni engagement in the program also has grown exponentially, with more graduates serving as mentors, shadowing hosts and employers.
An alumnus of both Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and Kellogg School of Management, Kabiller was himself a student-athlete. As an undergraduate, he received an athletic scholarship to play tennis at Northwestern and was named to the Big Ten Conference Academic All-Conference team. He conceived of and ultimately endowed the Kabiller NU for Life Program to help educate students about their professional options and to inspire them through alumni mentoring.
In addition to his service on the University's Board of Trustees, Kabiller was co-chair of the New York Regional Campaign Committee for We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern, chair of the Nanotechnology Executive Council and a life member of the Kellogg Global Advisory Board. A generous and longtime benefactor to Northwestern, Kabiller is a platinum-level member of NU Loyal, Northwestern's giving society recognizing consistent annual giving to the University, with 25 consecutive years of giving.
Kabiller is also a passionate advocate for nanotechnology research at Northwestern. In 2015, he introduced the international Kabiller awards, which biennially recognize two top scholars — one pioneer and one rising star — in the field of nanoscience and nanomedicine. In 2018, Kabiller endowed both honors, ensuring that this recognition continues in perpetuity. The 2019 awards honored Northwestern professor Chad Mirkin with the $250,000 Kabiller Prize, the world's largest monetary award for achievement in nanotechnology, and Molly Stevens of Imperial College London with the $10,000 Kabiller Young Investigator Award.
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