The 26 women and men honored with the 2016 Excellence in Leadership Award will be feted at a banquet 5:30 p.m. April 17 in the ballroom of Atwood Memorial Center.
In its 28th year, the Excellence in Leadership Award recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and academic commitment.
Seven of the honorees are earning graduate degrees, including Shawn Mueske, who is earning a doctorate in Higher Education Administration.
Undergraduate honorees include five Biomedical Science majors: Amanda Byers, Abshiro Hussein Mayow, Rachel Sakry, Brianne Stamer and Stephanie Patricia Waletzko.
Below are the honorees, their hometowns and the degrees they’re pursuing:
| Reenu Bajracharya | Master of Science in Gerontology | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Faith Rena Bila | Elementary Education | Overland Park, Kansas |
| Devon Bowker | Ecology and Field Biology | Houston, Texas |
| Amanda Byers | Biomedical Science | Big Lake |
| Brittany Gotzinger | Clinical Mental Health Counseling | Winona |
| Lisa M. Hankes | Master of Science in Counseling Psychology: School Counseling | Avon |
| Brikken M. Jensen | Information Systems | Brooklyn Park |
| Jae Who Ko | Master of Science in Special Education | Incheon, South Korea |
| Abshiro Hussein Mayow | Biomedical Science | Sartell |
| Natasha Meed | Nursing | Paynesville |
| Jennifer Miska | Psychology & Communication Studies | Maple Grove |
| Shawn Mueske | Doctorate in Higher Education Administration | Willmar |
| Hannah Nylund | Community Psychology | Hibbing |
| Rachel Sakry | Biomedical Science | Milnor, North Dakota |
| Alexandra Marie Saterdalen | Liberal Studies | Orrock |
| Brittany Schmoll | Real Estate | Lake Lillian |
| Natalie Sitter | Master of Science Higher Education Administration | Ortonville |
| William J. Smith | Information Systems | St. Cloud |
| Brianne Stamer | Biomedical Science | Hutchinson |
| Sinduja Thinamany | Master of Science in Biological Science: Cell and Molecular | Kandy, Sri Lanka |
| Sally L. Traut | Elementary Education | Sartell |
| Leoma Therese Van Dort | Master of Science in Social Responsibility | Kandy, Sri Lanka |
| Stephanie Patricia Waletzko | Biomedical Science | St. Cloud |
| Macy Jaculin Weller | Accounting | Sauk Centre |
| Kalie Wieber | Nursing | Clear Lake |
| Houa Xiong | Information Systems, Business Management | Woodbury |
We could not be prouder of our son, Devon Bowker. He is an extremely committed, passionate, driven young man who always accomplishes what he sets his mind to do….and he is going places. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for him!