Kellogg Community College is pleased to announce the recipients of KCC’s annual Outstanding Bruin Awards, recognizing the College’s top students for outstanding achievement in their field of study and extracurricular activities.
Outstanding Bruin Award winners were recognized during an awards ceremony on campus on April 28. This year’s award winners are listed below.
To qualify for an academic Outstanding Bruin Award, students must major or exhibit interest in their award area; earn a specified GPA in their award area; evidence significant growth; and exhibit a high degree of participation in and/or contributions to the department activities in one or more capacities.
Awards are also given to the overall outstanding graduates in each College division. Winners are selected by faculty and administrators from the department that corresponds with each award.
In addition to academic departmental awards, the Student Affairs Division awards the following:
- All-Michigan Academic Team: A max of four awardees are selected each year in collaboration with Phi Theta Kappa, USA Today and the American Association of Community Colleges to represent KCC. Students are selected based on academic achievement, community service involvement and leadership accomplishment.
- Catalyst Award: The Catalyst Award honors a student who has sparked positive change at the College and is deeply engaged in campus activities such as Student Life programs, athletic events and/or volunteering at College events. The winner is very school spirited and has a never-ending bucket of positivity.
- Emerging Leader Award: The Emerging Leader Award recognizes a first-year student who demonstrates promising leadership talent and has exhibited initiative on campus through engaging in campus activities.
- Golden Hammer Award: The Golden Hammer Award honors a student that has faced many obstacles and barriers but always finds a way to persist onward. This student is resilient and known for busting barriers.
- Level Up Award: The Level Up Award recognizes a student employee at KCC who has demonstrated significant personal growth while excelling in their job at the College. This type of personal growth and on-the-job excellence is what will help this student “level up” professionally.
- Student Veteran Award: The Student Veteran Award honors a student who has served in a branch of the military and continues to demonstrate service beyond their service to our country by engaging on campus and/or in the community.
- Registered Student Organization of the Year Award: The Registered Student Organization of the Year Award recognizes an organization that stands out among other student organizations based on its programming, spirit and overall contributions to the College.
- Registered Student Organization Officer of the Year Award: The Registered Student Organization Officer of the Year Award recognizes a student RSO officer who stands out from other officers through leadership and going above and beyond the scope of their position, often handling the “in between” tasks that do not align with any specific position.
- Trailblazer Award: The Trailblazer Award highlights a pioneer, someone who has blazed a trail and forged a path for other current and future KCC students. This student is highly engaged on campus and demonstrates leadership and positivity. They have made meaningful contributions to the student and surrounding community through responsible leadership, have held a leadership position within a College-affiliated organization or department and must have been enrolled during this academic year with a 2.5 GPA or higher.
INSTRUCTIONAL DIVISION AWARDS
Arts & Sciences Awards
Arts & Communication
- Landon Wyman, of Battle Creek, Excellence in Art – Binda Award
- Nora Lippard, of Battle Creek, Excellence in Music – Binda Award
- Garrett Martin, of Battle Creek, Excellence in Theatre – Binda Award
- Ellie Smith, of Bellevue, Outstanding Achievement in Art
- Brendon Mills, of Homer, Outstanding Achievement in Communication
- Garrett Martin, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Achievement in English
- Audreia Lower, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Graphic Design Graduate
- Samuel Case, of Bellevue, Outstanding Achievement in Photography & Multimedia
Education & Human Services
- Faith Lancaster, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Early Childhood Education Program Graduate
- Carter Casarez, of Marshall, Outstanding Elementary Education Major Graduate
- Destiny Davis, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Human Services Program Graduate
Math & Science
- KaiLani Etheridge, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Achievement in Anatomy and Physiology
- Amanda Reed, of Hastings, Outstanding Achievement in Biology
- Liberty Powers, of Marshall, Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry
- Isaac Warner, of Marshall, Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics
- Katie Godbey, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Achievement in Physical Science
- Santana Martinez Garcia, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Achievement in Physics
Social Science & Integrative Learning
- Katie Godbey, of Battle Creek, Service-Learning Commitment Award
- Tanner Olepa, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Student in Social Sciences
Health Sciences Awards
Allied Health
- Kaitlin Skaggs, of Lawrence, Outstanding Dental Hygiene Graduate
- Rylan Wilson, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Emergency Medical Services Student
- Dana DeBuc, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Physical Therapist Assistant Graduate
- Joana Patricia Hinkley, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Radiography Graduate
Nursing
- Alyssa Mesecar, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Associate Degree Full-Time Nursing Graduate
- Tiffany Sanchez, of Kalamazoo, Outstanding Associate Degree Part-Time Nursing Graduate
Workforce Development Awards
Business, Information Technology & Public Safety Education
- Vivian Aniche, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Business Application Systems Graduate
- Andrew Bassett, of Hastings, Outstanding Computer-Aided Drafting and Design Technology Graduate
- Oliver Hood, of Olivet, Outstanding Computer Engineering Technology Graduate
- Kathryn Matson, of Burlington, Outstanding Criminal Justice Graduate
- Jeanne Mayfield, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Industrial Skilled Trades Student
STUDENT AFFAIRS DIVISION AWARDS
- Hailey Key, of Battle Creek, All-Michigan Academic Team
- Ashley Larson, of Eaton Rapids, All-Michigan Academic Team
- Hindi Siad, of Coldwater, All-Michigan Academic Team
- Miriam “Mimi” Hibbard, of East Leroy, All-Michigan Academic Team
- Meghan Callahan, of Charlotte, Catalyst Award
- Annabelle Davis, of Marshall, Emerging Leader Award
- Gavin Patton, of Hastings, Golden Hammer Award
- Tracy Graham, of Battle Creek, Level Up Award
- Aubrie Evans, of Gobles, Outstanding Female Scholar Athlete Award
- Jack “JT” Sawdon, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Male Scholar Athlete Award
- Joseph Blythe, of Battle Creek, Student Veteran Award
- Sky Brown, of Battle Creek; Michaela Cheeseman, of Nashville; Dani Jaeger, of Battle Creek; Santana Martinez Garcia, of Battle Creek; and Miguel Rivera, of Battle Creek; Spectrum, Registered Student Organization of the Year
- Alexis Jones, of Battle Creek, College Democrats Club, Registered Student Organization Officer of the Year
OUTSTANDING GRADUATE AWARDS
- Katie Godbey, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Arts & Sciences Graduate
- Dana DeBuc, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Health Sciences Graduate
- Kathryn Matson, of Burlington, Outstanding Workforce Development Graduate
- Dani Jaeger, of Battle Creek, Outstanding Student Affairs Graduate – Trailblazer Award
For media photos of individual recipients receiving their awards onstage, please email Marketing Director Simon Thalmann at thalmanns@kellogg.edu.
For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.
