Criminal justice sophomore Hector Ruiz shakes the hand of psychology sophomore Roland Earb at the sign-in table April 12 at the Outstanding Student Leader Awards Banquet in Loftin. Earb volunteered to help sign attendees in by checking their student IDs as they entered the banquet. Photo by Michelle Delgado
An award ceremony celebrates students who lead campus clubs.
By Nicole Bautista
sac-ranger@alamo.edu
In recognition of their academic success and campus leadership, 32 students from this college received an award during the Outstanding Student Leader awards banquet April 12.
“These are our student leaders,” said Carrie Hernandez, senior student success specialist. “The ones that get involved and give back. The ones that you see helping at the book fairs. The ones that are donating blood. They are the ones that are volunteering to do our painting projects or just helping in general with activities and events.”
Hernandez and members of the campus activity board decorated and set up a stage in Loftin Student Center, where five members and one adviser from 32 active clubs on campus were invited to celebrate their peers’ accomplishments.
This event represents unity in campus clubs that focus on building this college’s community, creating character and making the culture here, said Nicholas Delaunay, master of ceremonies and business administration sophomore.
“This is our way of saying thank you and showing that we appreciate what they do,” Hernandez said.
Active clubs on this campus were able to nominate one member from their club to be recognized as their “outstanding student leader,” as well as one adviser to be recognized as “adviser of the year.”
“Each club was given the chance to nominate one outstanding student leader and adviser for their club,” Hernandez said.
The adviser of the year went to Geraldo Guerra, academic program coordinator and adviser for Men Empowerment Network.
The selection was based on a one-page essay that was submitted to student life for each adviser.
Advisers do not get paid extra to do this. They just do this out of the kindness of their hearts, said Joseph Liedecke, student success coordinator.
Hernandez serves as an advisor for the campus activity board, in which she was pleased to award one of the 32 awards to Kayla Salwey, CAB historian and business sophomore, as their outstanding leader.
“She goes above and beyond. She is usually here for all the events,” Hernandez said. “Not only that, she has contributed a lot to our club.”
“CAB is like my home,” Salwey said. “We do all these events on campus and as much as I can help out, I help out.”
Salwey has had a loaded semester this spring, as she is a member of three other campus clubs along with taking four classes and managing time to spend with her daughter.
The key to her success in her classes, clubs and as a mother — time management.
Salwey said that she depends on three calendars to help keep her on track and focused on her next task.
She said she uses her phone calendar, a planner and a desk calendar to help keep track of everything from events to eating.
Aside from time management, Salwey attributed her success to “a really great team” who is there to help her out when she needs help.
“Winning the award was just like the icing on top of the cake,” Salwey said. “I’m doing what I love, and I get to do it with people that I care about.”
