Chloe Edwards

Chloe Edwards Receives 2015 Tomato Can Loving Cup Award

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

“Her passion and enthusiasm for the school and for life is contagious.”

At the May 18 Carlson School commencement ceremony, the Tomato Can Loving Cup Award—the oldest award given to students by the school—was bestowed to its 86th recipient. Among hundreds of graduating students who celebrated the achievements that led them to commencement, Chloe Edwards stood out for her outstanding leadership outside the classroom.

“When I think of a person who best exemplifies the character of this award, this student immediately comes to mind. She has been an exemplary student, academic, and community leader, and certainly makes the Carlson School and the University of Minnesota proud as she graduates today,” said Assistant Dean Mary Maus Kosir at the commencement ceremony.

As the newest honoree, Edwards received a $500 prize and a half-tuition scholarship for the Carlson Full-Time MBA Program, which she is eligible to begin following two years of work experience.

Community engagement efforts

Chloe Edwards

Since her freshman year, Edwards has assumed leadership roles in a variety of organizations across the Carlson School and the University of Minnesota. This year, she served as president of Business Board and vice president of programming for the Panhellenic Council (the council that oversees all sororities on campus). She was also involved with Carlson Crew and GopherBusiness.

Throughout her four years of participation with Business Board, Edwards co-planned the first ever school-wide Habitat for Humanity Build and spearheaded a school-wide mental health awareness event. 

“Chloe inspires and encourages everyone she meets to do better and reach further,” said one award nominator.

Academic and professional achievements 

Edwards, a marketing major, leveraged numerous opportunities to learn and develop during her time as a Carlson School student.

This year, Edwards was one of few undergraduate students who participated in the Carlson Brands Enterprise: a program that challenges students to act as brand consultants by applying the knowledge they obtain in the classroom to a real-world problem faced by a client company.

She has successfully completed internships at Carmichael Lynch, Coca Cola, and General Mills.

“She not only strives for excellence in her academics, but she truly loves learning and preparing herself for the future,” said Kosir.

Post-graduation plans

Chloe Edwards

Edwards will teach English in Suwon, South Korea following graduation. As she begins her career, she’ll look back fondly on her time at the Carlson School.

“I have loved my time at Carlson. I look back at all the good times I have spent in both the Carlson building and Hanson Hall doing homework, group projects, and grabbing coffee with friends or professionals. I am so lucky to have had such an incredible experience and so sad to say goodbye,” she says. 

The Tomato Can trophy

The Tomato Can Loving Cup has been awarded annually since 1929 to the undergraduate business student who has best exemplified high performance and outstanding service to the school, the University of Minnesota, and the communities around campus.

The trophy itself was built by Henry Milton, a business student and the inaugural recipient of the award, out of an old tomato can and one of his mother’s candlesticks. Engraved on the side of the metallic can, along with the names of each recipient, is a description of the award: “Presented annually to that person who in the course of the year has rendered the most distinctive service to the school.”

The 84-year-old trophy is permanently housed in the business school.Â