Students, Staff, and Faculty Honored at Annual Awards Ceremony
Over nearly a decade, the Student Awards Ceremony has established a tradition of recognizing excellence among students, staff, and faculty at Clover Park Technical College. That tradition continued Wednesday evening at the seventh annual Student Awards Ceremony.
With the McGavick Conference Center decorated in elegant black and gold, attendees enjoyed pre-ceremony appetizers and activities that included a photo booth and musical entertainment provided by local duo Tsunami Piñata.
“Tonight, your dedication to academics and our campus community is making a difference,” CPTC Director of Student Life Cal Erwin-Svoboda said. “The Department of Student Life aims to cultivate a more connected, vibrant campus. We know that by empowering students, creating opportunities for student involvement, and engaging students from their initial days on campus, we can make Clover Park Technical College a better place to go to work, go to school, and call home.”
CPTC President Dr. Joyce Loveday echoed those sentiments later in the evening in praise of the campus contributions of all the nominees.
“What a privilege it is to be in this room this evening,” Loveday said. “This is an event filled with people who have been identified as those who stand out among faculty, staff, and students. You’ve come to the attention of others through your good work ethic, perseverance, and diligence, and I’m very proud to be here with you this evening. Thank you for the example you set, not only for your family and for yourselves, but for your classmates. It impacts the environment of our institution, and I thank you for that.”
Jennifer Frisk received the Outstanding Student Leader Award, while Jessica McElroy, Jose Garcia, and Robert Wood received the Academic Excellence Award. Courtney Gordon was honored as Transformation Award recipient, and Lisa Cutler was selected as the June Stacey-Clemons Student Advocate of the Year.
A pair of students who have overcome difficulties to become leaders in their classroom and on campus received two of the cabinet awards, as the Vice President of Instruction Award went to Melissa Farrington and the Vice President of Student Success Award went to Mary Nolen, who worked in the Advising & Counseling Office and will continue in that office with a part-time position.
“I’d like to thank everyone in the Advising office for having such faith and confidence in me to allow me to work there as a work-study, and I’m very thankful I’ll be continuing to work,” Nolen said. “If it wasn’t for everyone in that office and so many people on campus, I wouldn’t have been able to finish my program, earn a little money, and enjoy my time in college.”
Mechatronics received several points of recognition. Club MEC was honored as Club of the Year, while FSME instructor Thomas Chesnes was named Faculty of the Year. The final award of the evening, the President’s Award, went to Club MEC President Jonathan An. In Loveday’s introduction of the award winner, she highlighted several of An’s achievements in his time on campus: strong student and class motivator and tutor, club president, represents the college and Mechatronics program at career expos and high school fairs in the community, helps connect classmates with industry opportunities, and works multiple jobs totaling more than 40 hours each week.
“It would be an accomplishment to have done just one of these aforementioned endeavors,” Loveday said. “To do them all, and at such high level, takes tremendous initiative and an impeccable ability to balance school and life. You’re an inspiration, Jonathan; you’re an inspiration to us all, proving that determination and hard work are important factors to student success and achieving your dreams. You’ve done so much for so many others. Clover Park is a better place because of you.”
An, who had presented the Faculty of the Year award earlier in the evening, shared a brief thank you before admitting he was at a loss for words at his selection
“Thank you to everybody that made this possible; I wouldn’t be here without you,” An said. “Clover Park has provided me with an opportunity that I never expected coming into a technical college. It’s helped me create so many different connections, and I don’t even know what to say right now. Thank you.”
