Student Award Winners Celebrated

Submitted by Alicia McCaughen, Executive Director, Student Association  

The Kingston Student Association hosted its inaugural end-of-year gala on April 9, celebrating the people who make our campus community what it is. The evening coincided with a special Board of Directors meeting where we welcomed our incoming board and recognized the outgoing team for a year of dedication. 

The evening opened with Board of Directors honorariums recognizing outstanding students. Amber Dawe was celebrated for academic excellence, Jayan Anpalahan for community involvement, Jordan Harry as a Newsmaker, and Kiana Bromley for contributions to arts and culture. 

Clubs and student leaders also earned well-deserved spotlights. Zana Porter received the Leadership Excellence Award for her role as President of the Biotechnology Club, Alessandra Cuenca Ochoa earned the Club Officer Excellence Award, and the Biotechnology Club was named Club of the Year. The team behind HackSLC received the Event Impact Award for organizing the college's first student-run hackathon. 

The peer-nominated Student Life Awards drew nearly 30 nominations. Alessandra Cuenca Ochoa received the Student Leadership Award, Monicah Chemulwo the Peer Support Award, Aayush Sapkota the Innovation and Initiative Award, and Sneha Jha the Community Impact Award. On the faculty side, Melissa Raby earned the Excellence in Teaching Award, Dr. Elizabeth Moulton was recognized for Excellence in Research Mentorship, and Dr. Maha Othman for Excellence in Student Professional Mentorship. President's Awards closed the evening, going to Maimuna Dibba and Sean Andrei Mangala for exceptional leadership and service. 

On the Brockville campus, the SAC Zeal Recognition Award was handed out to students who embody school spirit, whether through participating in SAC activities, supporting events behind the scenes, making banners, or serving as board members. This year's recipients were Ethan Burns and Sheryl Pengal, each receiving a monetary award in recognition of their positive attitude and commitment to the SLC community.