Laura Allende Castilla Named 2025 Honors Student of the Year

The Ron and Laura Strain Honors College is proud to name Laura Allende Castilla ’25 ’27  (International Relations, Business Administration & Management, MA in International Relations) as its 2025 Honors Student of the Year.

The Strain Honors Student of the Year Award is given annually to a senior Honors student who has demonstrated exceptional academic accomplishment and contributed to the Honors community. 

Originally from Spain, Allende Castilla arrived at the University of Indianapolis eager to make the most of her college experience. As an international student-athlete, she balanced a demanding schedule while pursuing two majors, excelling in the classroom, and making an impact across campus.

“Coming to the United States as an international student-athlete was both exciting and overwhelming,” said Allende Castilla. “From day one, I knew I wanted to not only succeed in the classroom but also contribute meaningfully to the UIndy community.”

Allende Castilla joined the Honors Living-Learning Community during her first year and consistently excelled academically, graduating summa cum laude in May. She pursued advanced coursework in international relations and business while also competing as a member of UIndy’s Swim and Dive team. She earned numerous academic honors, including the Donald F. Carmony Award for Excellence in History and Politics and the 2025 Top Undergraduate Scholar of the School of Business, as well as being named an Esch Scholar. 

Her Honors project, “The Need for Global Awareness in an Interconnected World: A Quantitative Study of the University of Indianapolis Student Body,” explored students’ awareness of global affairs through a campus-wide survey. She found that UIndy students performed on par with the national average—neither better nor worse—challenging assumptions about limited global awareness in the Midwest. This result emphasizes the need for initiatives to enhance international education, foster a more informed student body, and prepare globally conscious citizens equipped for the international job market.

“In many ways, Laura has been an ideal student throughout her time at UIndy,” said Dr. Jyotika Saksena, professor of international relations and president of the UIndy Faculty Senate, who served as her Honors advisor.“She always keeps up with all her deadlines, her work is always well researched, and she chooses topics that are challenging and broaden her knowledge. Her Honors topic is not only academically and socially relevant but also adds to the literature on her topic. To my knowledge, no studies have been done that evaluate the global mindset of students in the Midwest, and this is the first study of its kind conducted at UIndy.”

Allende Castilla plans to expand upon her research as part of her master’s thesis in UIndy’s graduate program in international relations, which she will begin this fall.

“It’s really hard to put into words everything that being part of the UIndy and Honors communities has meant to me over the past four years,” she said. “Being recognized as Honors Student of the Year means the world to me—not just as a reflection of what I’ve accomplished, but as a celebration of the journey I’ve had here and the people who made it all possible.”