The University Medal this year goes to Dana Russell Wagner, who was barely 17 years old when he came to Berkeley as a freshman in 1992.
He proceeded to earn a double major in economics and comparative literature without ever receiving below an "A."
Wagner, now 20, describes his strategy for success as "just showing up for class and studying hard and putting in the dedication it requires."
Wagner's transcript shows as many grades of A+ as A, but doesn't show his dedication to helping first-year students as a residence hall coordinator. He also helped launch Berkeley's innovative Substance-Free Living Environment, a dormitory section that excludes alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs.
Wagner will attend Yale Law School in the fall.
