Star Students: Meet the 2025 President's Leadership Winners
The President’s Leadership Awards were created in 1985 with an endowment from Frank Denius, LLB ’49, Life Member, Distinguished Alumnus, and former president of the Texas Exes. In the 40 years since, the award recognizes Longhorns who demonstrate outstanding leadership and service on campus. This year, three seniors, two juniors, and a sophomore are commended for their dedication to leaving a positive impact on their campus and the people around them.
Niels Levy-Thiebaut, BA, BS ’25, Life Member
Majors: Plan II Honors, Biochemistry Honors, certificate in Evidence and Inquiry
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Forty Acres Scholars Program, Polymathic Scholars Honors Program, Reading Aces, Texas Silver Spurs, Tejas Club, Longhorn Powerlifting, The Unfinished Mind Podcast, Emergency Contraception for Every Campus
Before making Houston home in high school, Niels Levy-Thiebaut grew up in Paris, France. Plan II offered a tight-knit community similar to the one in which he grew up, as well as a well-rounded liberal arts education. As a pre-med student, he chose biochemistry because he was interested in learning about the human body on a molecular level.
But Levy-Thiebaut’s talents and interests reach far beyond academics. Whether reading to Austin elementary school students as the president of Reading Aces, representing UT in international powerlifting competitions, studying abroad in Spain and Japan, or following his curiosity with Polymathic Scholars’ Unfinished Mind Podcast, Levy-Thiebaut has made the most of his four years at UT.
“I enjoy how balanced my life has felt, because there were so many things outside of being pre-med and academics that I’ve been able to do,” Levy-Thiebaut says. Nonetheless, he is heading to medical school in the fall.
Kailey Kessler, Life Member
Majors: Canfield Business Honors, Accounting, Integrated Master in Professional Accounting, minor in Entrepreneurship, two certificates in Spanish
Hometown: San Antonio, Texas
Longhorn Band, Texas Ballroom, Texas Line, Toastmasters, Ignite, Kendra Scott Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute, National Hispanic Institute
Kailey Kessler can dance circles around you, literally, and have a smile on her face while doing it. You’ve probably seen her on gamedays wheeling out Big Bertha, the largest bass drum in the world, or playing the clarinet during halftime.
This past semester, Kessler and her friend started a dance organization, Texas Line. “I want a place where people can go for fun, or really advanced people can go to actually be challenged and learn more—to build a community for people of all different dance experience,” Kessler says.
Kessler didn’t come to UT knowing how to march or how to line dance, but she knew she wanted to branch out and learn. She says the Longhorn Band felt like an immediate family, where she knew she was supported.
“Take the time to get to know the people around you, seek out opportunities, and say yes to things,” Kessler says by way of advice to younger students. “Be involved, just to brighten someone’s day.”
Grant Phillips, Life Member
Majors: Canfield Business Honors, Marketing
Hometown: Lubbock, Texas
Camp Texas, Honors Business Association, Business Scholars Institute, Texas Athletics, Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
Whether Grant Phillips is advising Business Honors underclassmen or acting as the co-chair of Camp Texas for the past two years, he is a mentor, teaching people what it means to be a Longhorn before they even set foot on the Forty Acres.
Phillips came from the Red Raider land of Lubbock, so Camp Texas was especially helpful to him. His freshman year coincided with the first Camp Texas session back from the pandemic, and he was hooked from the get.
He says that while this may not be the most traditional route for a business student, it is rewarding.
“If you focus on the things that you do seem interested in, that is where you will feel the most empowered,” Phillips says. “Write your own unique story, and don’t focus on trying to fit into the pipeline that everyone else has.”
This summer is the camp’s first time back to full capacity since before the pandemic. It’s also Phillips’ last session, but he’s looking forward to all of the new opportunities yet to come.
Franchesca Untalan, Life Member
Majors: Canfield Business Honors, Computer Science
Hometown: San Angelo, Texas
Computer Science and Business Honors Student Association, Texas Taekwondo, Texas Product Catalyst, Project Advance Austin, Dell STEM Aspire, Honors Business Association
Franchesca Untalan says that she can trace every single good thing about her life to Taekwondo.
Untalan was recruited for Texas Taekwondo through tabling a year ago, and while she had no knowledge of the sport, she knew she wanted to challenge herself. Just as she did in her classes and her organizations, she worked hard and ended up winning in her individual division at the national championship in California.
“That was probably one of the most impactful moments of my college career because it shows I can do anything I put my mind to,” Untalan says. She applies this mindset to other parts of her life, such as Project Advance Austin, which partners with local nonprofits to address needs in the community.
Making an impact is important to Untalan, and with only two years into her time at UT, there’s no limit to the change she’ll make.
Frances Cates, BA ’25, Life Member
Majors: Plan II Honors; certificate in Patients, Practitioners, and Cultures of Care
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Forty Acres Scholars Program, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Health Leadership Apprentice Program, Department of Population Health at Dell Medical School, “Think Twice” Medical Misconceptions Blog, Emergency Contraception for Every Campus
Frances Cates always knew she wanted to be a doctor. For her, it’s a career where she can directly help people and impact their lives, while also being in an intellectually stimulating field. She especially enjoys “community-engaged research,” where she can interact with people around Austin about their healthcare experiences, such as her work with Emergency Contraception for Every Campus and the Dell Medical School.
Through programs such as the Forty Acres Scholars Program, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and the Health Leadership Apprentice Program, Cates helped strengthen communities on campus. Last summer, Cates extended her work beyond the Forty Acres, when she conducted a research project at the University of Cambridge Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Cates is returning to Cambridge in the fall to earn her Master of Science before moving on to medical school.
“I’m excited to keep learning and to engage in a new school environment,” Cates says. “I feel very fulfilled by my four years here, and I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else.”
Neha Donthineni, BA, BS ’25, Life Member
Majors: Plan II Honors, Biology
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Dedman Distinguished Scholars, Polymathic Scholars Honors Program, Apricity Magazine, Plan II Pre-Medical Society, The Drag Audio Production House, Harry Ransom Center
Neha Donthineni didn’t know exactly what she wanted to study, so she decided to try everything.
She was awarded the President’s Award for Global Learning her freshman year to conduct research on organic cotton supply chains of Sweden and India, which Donthineni says kick-started her interest in sustainability. Every summer since, she has gone abroad, first to Costa Rica and later to South Korea.
She used her study abroad experiences to inform her senior honors thesis on community organizing in the ecotourism industry, helping Donthineni find her specific interest in medicine.
“How climate change affects our bodies, how climate displacement takes a toll on our mental health, and what those implications will be in the next few decades,” Donthineni says. “If I want to answer those questions, I really need to start with the people.”
Now, Donthineni is heading south to Galveston for medical school—and she’s open to any and all opportunities for adventure along the way.
CREDITS: MATT WRIGHT-STEEL
