2020 Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons Spirit Awards
Spirit Outstanding Student Award
The Spirit Outstanding Student Award is given to a student who embodies leadership, citizenship, and involvement, and belongs to an underrepresented minority group including the LGBTQIA community, Native American students, African-American students, and students from underrepresented cultural, racial, or religious identities.
Christen Falcon
Christen will graduate in May of 2020 with a degree in Business Management and a minor
in Native American Studies. Throughout her time at MSU, Christen has been active in
the Native community as well as being a role model for her four-year-old son. She
has been the co-President of the American Indian Club and a member of the Society
of American Indian Graduate Students (SAIGS), American Indian Business Leaders, and
the American Indian Building Board. She has also been an Ambassador for the American
Indian Scholarship Fund, an MSU Diversity Ambassador and a Return-to-Learn Program’s
Native American Outreach Advocate. As a member of the Blackfeet Nation, Christen has
been an activist in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement,
helping to coordinate the Take Back the Night March two years in a row, along with
coordinating multiple MMIWG protests and speak outs. She is a recipient of the American
Indian Council Full Circle Scholarship and the MSU Foundational Scholarship. Upon
graduation, Christen hopes to use health and wellness policy change to dismantle systemic
oppression and lead her community to a more prosperous future.
Spirit Activism Award
The Spirit Activism Award is given to a student who embodies leadership, citizenship, and community involvement, demonstrating these characteristics through their achievements and work towards social justice.
Tim Osen
Tim will graduate in May with a degree in Computer Science and a minor in Business
Administration. Throughout Tim’s time at MSU, they have served as the Co-President
and Social Media Chair of the Queer Straight Alliance (QSA) student organization at
MSU. Additionally, Tim serves on the Council of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the
State of Montana, helping to organize over 15 successful state-wide charity drag shows.
Tim is the Social Media and Outreach Coordinator for Montana’s AIDS Outreach. They
also are a co-founder of the Trishas, a drag group responsible for creating LGBTQ
friendly programming in downtown Bozeman. Tim is a two-time recipient of the Forward
Montana 25 under 25 Award as well as a 2018-2019 Pride Foundation Scholar. After graduation,
Tim intends to continue their work with AIDS Outreach Montana, leading a project to
finally remodel the organization’s local office. Tim hopes to guide the next generation
of LGBTQ drag performers and be a resource for other young queer activists in the
Gallatin Valley.