March 27, 2012

Awards honor 25 Distinguished Seniors, 2 juniors

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The SIU Alumni Association, the Student Alumni Council (SAC), and Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor Rita Cheng will honor 25 seniors as part of the “25 Most Distinguished Seniors” program on April 14 at the Student Center.

In addition to presenting Distinguished Senior Awards to 25 standout SIU Carbondale students, two juniors will receive recognition for their contributions to the University through SAC’s Super Student Scholarship.

The program is at 6 p.m. in Student Center Ballroom D.

Initiated by the SIU Alumni Association and SAC -- a registered student organization -- the 25 Most Distinguished Seniors (MDS) program and the Super Student scholarship program recognize students who enrich the University community with their active involvement in all facets of campus life. Some of these activities include academic achievement, athletics, residential life, military service, Greek life, and registered student organizations. The group will be honored at the ceremony, with each distinguished senior receiving a complimentary one-year membership to the SIU Alumni Association from the Division of Institutional Advancement, and a plaque of recognition.

“Like our 25 Most Distinguished Seniors program, the Super Student Scholarship is one of SIU’s most prominent student recognitions and illustrates high standards of accomplishment,” said Tuesday Ashner, the Association’s director of student, college, and constituent relations. “The recipients are considered to be some of SIU’s brightest juniors and seniors, so competition each year is certainly intense. That makes it an arduous task for the selection committee.”

Graduating seniors applying for the MDS award must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 and submit their transcript along with a detailed application. Applicants must also submit letters of recommendation supporting their candidacy as well as any other supporting documents.  A committee of various representatives from the University selects the 25 students.

Eligibility requirements for the Super Student Scholarship include three criteria that applicants must meet. All applicants must be a full-time student with at least 70 completed credit hours, be actively involved in two registered student organizations, and hold a minimum 3.5 grade point average.

For more information, contact the SIU Alumni Association at 618/453-2408 or go to www.siualumni.com/25mds and www.siualumni.com/ss.

The recipients, their hometowns, their majors and minors, where listed, follow:

 

Super Student Scholarships Recipients

 

Illinois

 

Scheller:  Brock Kabat, psychology major in the College of Science; minor in chemistry.

Taylorville:  Caitlin Moliske, physiology major in the College of Science; minors in chemistry and psychology.

25 Most Distinguished Senior Award Recipients

 

Illinois

 

Alhambra:  Kistalynn Raymond, agriculture education major in the College of Agricultural Sciences; minor in plant and soil sciences.

Arlington Heights:  John Schumacher, speech communication -- public relations major in the College of Liberal Arts; minors in marketing and journalism.

Belleville:  Darlyshia Cherry, speech communications-public relations major in the College of Liberal Arts.

Bensenville:  David Loska, aviation technologies major in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts; minors in economics and aerospace studies.

Brighton:  Travis Healey, biomedical sciences major in the College of Science; minor in chemistry.

Chicago:  Ari Weiss, double major in economics and political science in the College of Liberal Arts.

Crystal Lake:  Jordan DiGrazia, double major in aviation management and aviation flight in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts; minor in Spanish.

Effingham:  Nicole Haarmann, animal science, pre-veterinary medicine major in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Hoyleton: Michael Small, biological science-pre-medicine major in the College of Science; minors in chemistry and psychology.

Kingston:  Kimberly Elsenbroek, plant biology major in the College of Science.

Macomb:  Makayla Trotter, geography and environmental resources major in the College of Liberal Arts; minor in French.

Marion:  Caroline Ebelhar, management major in the College of Business.

Mattoon: Cameron James, management-entrepreneurship major in the College of Business.

Mount Vernon:  Anthony Graham, anthropology major in the College of Liberal Arts; minor in sociology.

Northlake:  Karla Avelar, criminology and criminal justice major in the College of Liberal Arts; minor in history.

O’Fallon: Daniel Dunbar, management major in the College of Business.

Raymond:  Thomas Marten, general agriculture major in the college of Agricultural Sciences; minor in environmental studies.

Rolling Meadows:  Lisa Dohn, computer engineering major in the College of Engineering; minor in mathematics.

St. Charles:  Monica Bertrand, music education major in the College of Liberal Arts.

Staunton:  Sarah Claytor, animal science, pre-veterinary major in the College of Agricultural Sciences; minor in chemistry.

Steeleville:  Loran Luehr, human nutrition and dietetics major in the College of Agricultural Sciences.

Taylorville:  Jessica Stout, physiology-pre-medicine major in the College of Science; minors in chemistry and psychology.

Colorado

Windsor:  Mallory Duran-Sellers, English -- middle school education major in the College of Education and Human Services.

Michigan

Ada:  Mike McElroy, health education major in the College of Education and Human Services.

Ukraine:

Dolyna:  Yuri Fedorovich, physiology-pre-medicine major in the College of Science; minor in chemistry.