Top students will be recognized at annual 奖 convocation

The Student 奖 Convocation on April 8 will recognize 顶尖学术学者和学生将获得 Excellence-in-a-Discipline奖.

仪式将于下午6点开始.m. 在埃伯哈德 Center. A 所有得奖者名单 都发布在教务长办公室的网站上. 下面是三个学生的简介.

此外, 最近被学生事务处评为第一名 学生领袖 在颁奖典礼上.

蒂安娜·戴维斯，她将获得盖尔R. 戴维斯第一 Generation College 学生新锐领袖奖, was initially surprised when she learned that a faculty member had nominated her for a fellowship in the Hauenstein Center's Cook Leadership Academy.

Then she read the description Darren Walhof, professor and chair of political 科学, had written and began to see herself 作为领导者.

“我一直以为我是一个普通的学生 regular things," said Davis, a junior majoring in political 科学. “但是沃尔霍夫教授把我看作一个领导者，而我 我要做到这一点."

作为土生土长的底特律人，戴维斯说这需要一些时间 在决定主修政治学之前，“换专业”. 她说，增加人权辅修课程是关键. 

She plans to explore the field more during the summer 作为受害者辩护律师实习了几个月.

“我将能够更多地了解球场 在这个领域学习并获得实践经验. 我想。 work in the victim advocacy realm and bring that work back to 底特律，”她说. “担任这些职位的人并不多."

Davis works in the 教务长办公室 at the front desk and is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national honors society 政治科学. 

她将是她家里第一个获得大学学位的人 college degree, a fact she carries with pride and, sometimes, a few 眼泪. She has two younger 姐妹, one who is a senior in high school.

“我试图成为我的孩子们的榜样和领导者 姐妹. I'm proud of myself and I know my mom and my family are 为我感到骄傲，”她说.

——米歇尔·科菲尔

Aseel Ayesh, a native of Grand Rapids, will receive a 格伦一个. Niemeyer奖 , presented to undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate excellence in the classroom and extracurricular activities.

As a third-year student, Ayesh will earn two bachelor’s 今年春天获得会计和金融学位. Ayesh也是 a combined degree program and is working to complete a master’s in scientific accounting degree concurrently with her bachelor's degree 项目. She said it's a stepping stone to her goal of attaining a 注册会计师执照.

"我全身心地投入到我的学习中 enthusiasm and dedication, I unlock potential for growth and 发展，”Ayesh说. 这需要拥抱 challenges as opportunities for learning, persisting through setbacks, and continuously seeking to expand my knowledge and skills."

Ayesh said she is thankful to her parents for all her 成功. As first-generation immigrants from Palestine, Ayesh said her parents worked hard to immerse her and her siblings in the best 他们能找到的教育系统. Ayesh说他们也塑造了她 views of the world by providing her with the opportunity to live and 我将在巴勒斯坦留学三年. 她说这段经历 让她认识到自己的身份、根源和信仰.

“Being exposed to two completely different ways of life (in the East and the West) made me appreciate the richness of each and gave me the opportunity to selectively incorporate aspects from both into my own life while discarding those that do not resonate with me, allowing me to shape my own identity and world view,” said Ayesh.

在GVSU期间，Ayesh参与了 several organizations, including the Frederik Meijer Honors College, Hauenstein Center's Cook Leadership Academy and the Seidman College 商业指导计划. 

“There are many career paths I'm currently considering. Regardless of my choice, I aim to pursue a career that will give me an opportunity to give back to the community that has supported me,” 她说.

-托马斯·加勒特是大学的学生作家 通信. 加勒特是斯蒂文斯维尔人，是一名大四学生 主修写作.

研究生亨利·佩纳将获得尼迈耶奖 奖. Peña will graduate in April with a doctor of nursing practice degree. 

Peña表示他很感激也很荣幸能收到这份礼物 奖. As a nursing student, he said this 奖 shows what nurses are all about: serving others and improving their care of patients.

“To me, it’s validating, it’s humbling, it just brings 如此多的情感，”Peña说.

He is proud to earn an advanced nursing degree and to show his parents, knowing that they led him on the 正确的 path.

“This is as much about them, my family, and my support 系统，因为它是博天堂官方网页我，”Peña说.

Peña在校园里扮演了几个领导角色. It started when he was nominated for Hauenstein Center's Cook Leadership Academy fellowship by one of his professors. 他说了 激发了他融入社区的欲望.

“It has been a sequence of leadership initiatives and opportunities that formed outside of academics,” said Peña.

At the end of his first year, he became the president KCON研究生护理协会主席. 通过这个 experience he realized a need in his community and, with another student, formed the Multicultural Student Nurses Organization. 那 在新的领导下，集团今天仍然很活跃. 他也是 president of Grand Valley’s Graduate Student Organization. 

作为一个全面发展的学生，Peña说他认为 himself a “jack of all trades” and hopes to spread his knowledge to others.

“I think a well-rounded student encompasses different spheres of influence, whether that be academics, community service 对他人或理解，”Peña说.

– Samantha Drougel is a student writer for University 通信. 德鲁格尔来自梦露，主修电影双学位 and video production, and journalism, broadcasting and digital media.