Sixty Emporia State University students from The Teachers College and three retiring faculty members received special recognition at The Teachers College 34th Annual Honors Banquet held the evening of May 4. Twenty-two received outstanding student awards and 41 students were honored for achievement of a 3.8 grade point average or higher.
Undergraduate and graduate students were honored for excellence in their respective departments. Nine students received outstanding undergraduate student awards and 13 students received outstanding graduate student awards.
The three faculty members recognized from The Teachers College included individuals who retired in this academic year. In addition, a local alumnus and school district administrator received a proclamation for his decades of work in education.
The students honored included:
Outstanding Undergraduate Awards
- Athletic Training – Mizuki Kiriyama (Nagano, Japan)
- Elementary Teacher Education – Whitney Dunbar (Olathe)
- Health Education – Morgan Kerfes (Paola)
- Health Promotion – Reid Buckingham (Lawrence)
- Middle & Secondary Teacher Education – Eswin Rios (Emporia)
- Physical Education – Todd Thacker (Gardner)
- Psychology – Chukwunenye Nweke (Lagos, Nigeria)
- Recreation – Mitchell Drey (Bremen)
- Rehabilitation Services Education – Abigail Githens (Manhattan)
Outstanding Graduate Awards
- Art Therapy – Paige Blaha (Manhattan)
- Clinical Counseling – Joey Wood (Hutchinson)
- Clinical Psychology – Clarie Koehn (Cottonwood Falls)
- Curriculum & Instruction – Andrea Weter (Davenport, Iowa)
- Health, Physical Education & Recreation – Dakota Sorensen (Lawrence)
- Industrial/Organizational Psychology – Eric Lloyd (Overland Park)
- Instructional Specialist: Reading Specialist – Tiffany Oldham (Gardner)
- Instructional Design & Technology – Cui Wang (Liaoning, China)
- Master of Education in Teaching – Thelma Galvez Aldape (Topeka)
- School Counseling – Glynis Kickhaefer (Topeka)
- School Psychology –Kerri Glover (Wichita)
- Special Education/Gifted, Talented & Creative – Katherine Clapp (Independence)
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages – Lori Green (Moundridge)
Honored Students
These undergraduate students were recognized for a cumulative grade point average of 3.8 or higher. These students are due to graduate or have graduated in December 2017, May 2018 or August 2018:
- Cashion, Oklahoma– Ty Reasnor
- Dickinson, Texas– Emily Hollister
- Lees Summit, Missouri– Addyson Barr
Kansas:
- Clifton – Ashley Peterson
- Emporia – Maimoona Hamid Albar, Morgan Claasen, Taylor Jayne Fuller, Kristen Ann Gay, Chukwunenye Nweke, Eswin N. Rios, Ariel Starr, Brettany Williams
- Gardner – Melissa R. Denning, Ashley Hamilton, Jessica Schaefer
- Haven – Abby Ausherman
- Hesston – Makayla Holopriek
- Hiawatha – Brianna Schmitz
- Hillsboro – Courtney Troyer
- Hutchinson – Kandace Miller
- Kansas City – Raymond J. Horvat
- Lawrence – Jennifer Gottstein
- Lebo – Lexie Thomas
- Manhattan – Abigail Githens, Josie Marie Rozell
- Newton – Angela Richardson, Carrie Unruh
- Olathe – Robin Gassen, Brittany Lynn Luton, Frances Opheim, Alicia Ray, Kathryn Sample, Haley Vonfeldt, Rebecca Williams
- Osawatomie – Hanna Louise Anderson
- Overland Park – Shannon Barclift, Lauren Borcherding, Karlin Nicole Kramer, Erin Seib
- Paola – Michelle Wilkes
- Pomona – Erin England
- Salina – Danielle Sprinkle
- Shawnee – Emily Perry
- Tonganoxie – Leah Miller
- Topeka – Rachel Pumford
- Wamego – Hannah Beth Pierce
- Wichita – Kara Olivia Buck, Kristen Delia Blau, Sarah Johnson, Madelyn Kohlman
- Winchester – Jacee Kramer
Honored Faculty
The three faculty members recognized included individuals who retired in this academic year. Each of these individuals has loyally served Emporia State University and its students:
- Dr. Marciana Vequist,Instructor, Department of Psychology
- Dr. Alice Hinck, Assistant Professor, Department of Counselor Education
- Dr. Joella Mehrhof, Professor, Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation
Scholarship Winners & Special Guests
In attendance were Pete and Leslee Euler of Emporia, who established the Kim Euler Memorial Scholarship; the student who received this award was Abigail Githens, named the Outstanding Student in Rehabilitation Services Education. Also in attendance were Monte and Lynda Miller of Topeka, who established the Dr. Monte R. & Lynda L. Miller Secondary Education Scholarship; the student who received this award is Honored Student Raymond Horvat.
A dean’s proclamation was given to George Abel, assistant superintendent of teaching & learning for USD 253 Emporia. Abel was recognized for his 45 years of exemplary teaching, service, and leadership to the children of Kansas and his many contributions to The Teachers College which directly impact the quality of elementary and secondary teacher preparation.