Announcing the 2026 Community Service Award Recipients

The Pace University Community Service Award honors graduating students who have strengthened both the University and the broader community through service, with recipients recognized at Commencement. Get to know this year’s award winners and the stories behind their service.

Alisha Bhandari

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BA in Art History, Dyson College of Arts and Science
Pleasantville

Alisha’s time at Pace has been dedicated to harnessing art and storytelling as tools for social justice.

Alisha is the founder of Pace Pleasantville Theatre, expanding opportunities for student artists on the Pleasantville Campus, and through that work wrote, directed, and produced Hellbound West. Alisha has curated exhibitions such as Black Resiliency Through Photography, contributed to cultural preservation initiatives at the Tenement Museum, and supported fundraising efforts for local arts organizations.

Beyond creative work, Alisha has demonstrated consistent campus leadership. Alisha founded One Pace to develop multicultural programming for students, served as president of Pride at Pace, and worked as a resident assistant. Alongside this involvement, Alisha has remained committed to academics, pursuing minors in film studies, communication studies, and sociology/anthropology while maintaining a 3.99 GPA and active membership in the Pforzheimer Honors College.

Alisha's work across campus and beyond reflects a sustained commitment to service and social responsibility, earning recognition as a Community Service Award recipient.

Yese Erazo-Tequianes

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BA in Political Science and BA in Peace and Justice Studies, Dyson College of Arts and Science
New York City

During her time at Pace, Yese has balanced academic excellence with dedicated advocacy and student leadership.

She has been especially committed to immigration rights advocacy. As a volunteer with the Mixteca Organization, she supported community programs such as weekly food pantries, cultural celebrations, and legal clinics for migrant families and asylum seekers. As a United Nations Millennium Fellow, Yese created the Asylum Aid Project, working directly with 14 immigrant families to help them secure Employment Authorization Cards. She continues this work as an affidavit writer and paralegal at Kerben Law Firm, where she conducts consultations with asylum seekers and helps translate their stories into affidavits to support their cases

Beyond her advocacy work, Yese has presented at Undergraduate Research Day and served as a research assistant, teaching assistant, and secretary of the Pace Debate Society. Yese was also selected for the Lex Study Abroad Pre-Law Fellowship in Italy, all while maintaining strong academics and membership in the Pforzheimer Honors College and Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society.

Yese’s work across communities and campus reflects a sustained commitment to service and social responsibility, earning her recognition as a Community Service Award recipient.