Krystal Geeson
Staff Writer
Idaho State University’s 2014 Outstanding Student Award recipients were announced by the university and the ISU Alumni Association recently.
The recipients’ commitment to their community, to their education and a refined work ethic are just some of the qualities they possess.
Students can be nominated for this award year-round. Faculty, staff and students are allowed to make nominations until January. The dean of the respective college creates an election committee that gathers, goes over nominations and chooses a recipient.
This award gives students an opportunity to be recognized not only by their peers but by their college as well.
“It’s a good barometer of the success they will have either in post-graduate work or in their chosen field,” said K.C. Felt, executive director of alumni relations.
Not all students who receive this award fall into the traditional category. Two of the recipients this year are mothers of two. They manage school, parenting, volunteering and being active in extracurricular activities.
“The beauty of it is each student has a story to tell and they are all different.” said Felt. “From the alumni standpoint, I think it’s a general consensus among our staff that this is without a doubt the most significant thing we do with students every year as alumni.”
This award allows the Alumni Association to share about itself and to express to students the importance of staying in touch with their alma mater. The Alumni Association also looks at this particular group of students down the road when awarding the young alumni award during homecoming.
“They represent the student population and it validates to us the quality of our education, the determination of our students, and it brings it all under one roof,” said Felt.
Nicole Blanchard, one of two recipients from the College of Arts and Letters, said, “I know a lot of people that were nominated, people that won in other colleges, as well as people who have won in the past. To be nominated was great to know that people believed I was capable of earning this. I know all the other people who were nominated and who have won have accomplished great things, and I think it is great to be included in that group.”
Blanchard graduated in December of 2013 with a degree in mass communication and a minor in French. She was involved with the Honors Program, a member of the ISU Feminist Alliance, and was “The Bengal” newspaper’s editor-in-chief during her last three semesters. She is currently at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism working on her master’s degree.
Kylie Pukash, another recipient, is graduating with a bachelor of science degree in nursing. She is a member of the Student Nurses Association, a senior mentor for the ISU School of Nursing and a member of Chi Alpha. She also volunteers outside of ISU.
“It meant a lot that professors knew I worked hard throughout my college program,” said Pukash.
After college, Pukash plans to apply for nursing positions. Her goal is to work in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Antonio Diego Tahhan Acosta, a recipient from the College of Science and Engineering, plans to attend graduate school at North Carolina State University to earn his master’s degree in nuclear engineering.
With encouragement from professors his first year, he became a part of the American Nuclear Society. This year he was president and secretary of Tau Beta Pi, an engineering honors society.
“The award has been under our umbrella for over 20 years. Repeatedly, we hear from faculty and staff that this one of their favorite events on campus, they love to see the students recognized,” said Casey Thompson, technical records specialist for the ISU Alumni Association.
Recipients were honored during a reception on April 18 at the Stephens Performing Arts Center.
“It is an emotional event,” said Felt. “A lot of their friends that have known them through their career attend. It’s important to their families. There are usually at least two or three generations that are attending. We also have alumni whose children are going through this as well which is creating a legacy with the university.”
Outstanding Student Award recipients for 2014 are shown above. They will be honored again during commencement on May 10 in Holt Arena.
