Mekdelawit Tamirat (right) receives the Board of Governors Award from Western Community
College Area Board of Governors Member Dr. William Packard during the Western Nebraska
Community College Students Award Ceremony Thursday in Scottsbluff. Claudio Sebastian
Escudero also received the Board of Governors Award, which is the highest award conferred
by WNCC.
Western Nebraska Community College presented 37 awards to 60 recipients at its annual
Scottsbluff Campus awards ceremony on Thursday, April 25. WNCC is pleased to announce
the following students, faculty, and staff who earned awards at the ceremony.
Presidential Award: Shelby Benson & Jerimiah Marchington
Residence Hall Student of the Year-Conestoga: Kayleen Sullivan
Residence Hall Student of the Year-Pioneer: Leslie Mamai-Lagafuaina
Resident Assistant of the Year-Conestoga: Krittika Mahasing & Claudio Sebastian Escudero
Resident Assistant of the Year-Pioneer: Mekdelawit Tamirat
Highest GPA-Sophomore Female Athlete: Merle Wiehl
Highest GPA-Sophomore Male Athlete: Martin Roub
Highest GPA-Athletic Team: Women's Softball Team
Outstanding Student Ambassadors: Alex Araujo & Logan Belford
Outstanding Graduating Theatre Major Award: Dani Lopez
Outstanding Returning Theatre Major Award: Stephanie Wieand
Performing Arts Award-Vocal Music: Bailey Branson
Supplemental Instruction Leader of the Year: Chandler Young & Jerimiah Marchington
TRIO Touchstone Award-Faculty: Science Faculty
TRIO Touchstone Award-Student: Gabriella Rodriguez
Staying on Course Award: Martin Roub
CollegeNOW! Award: Blake Greckel, Edgar Torres, Amandeep Cheema, Jakob Huck, Abigail Bucks, Brock Parker,
Rianda Bounds, Alex Stambaugh, Ian Papenfus
ADN (Associate Degree Nursing) Health Occupations Award: Rikki Harden & Evelyn Tennant
PN (Practical Nursing) Student of the Year: Talia Stradtman
Division of Language & Fine Arts Award: William Tidyman & Matthew Benzel
Division of Mathematics Award: Hyeonggeun (Luke) Bak
Division of Science Award: Christopher 'Bud' Jenkins
Division of Social Sciences Award: Martin Roub & Lorenzo Lopez
Division of Business and Information Technology Award: Joseph Oboamah
All-Nebraska Academic Team: Oghenemaro Progress Aghoghovbia & Shelby Benson
Outstanding Kappan of the Year: Shelby Benson, Mekdelawit Tamirat, Claudio Sebastian Escudero, and Jerimiah Marchington
Phi Theta Kappa Award for Excellence in Teaching: Dr. Patrick Newell
Fostering Community Award: Molly Bonuchi & Kent Bell
Student Government Student Achievement Award: Gabriella Rodriguez
Cougar Award: Michaela Kelly
Vice President of Administrative Services Non-Traditional Student of the Year: Becky Goldrick, Rebecca DeWitt, and Alyssa Dishman
Business and Community Education Student of the Year: Mary Acosta
Dean of Students Organization of the Year: Phi Theta Kappa
Vice President of Student Services Outstanding Student Leader of the Year: Gabriella Rodriguez
Outstanding Advisor of the Year: Amy Winters
Executive Vice President of Educational Services: Oghenemaro Progress Aghoghovbia
Board of Governors Award: Mekdelawit Tamirat & Claudio Sebastian Escudero