SJRCC PRESS RELEASE April 2008 Students honored at St. Augustine award ceremonies SJRCC administrators, faculty and staff recently gathered to honor students for their academic achievements and participation in campus activities and community service projects. Dr. Glen Moore, Provost of the St. Augustine Campus, welcomed guests and students who excelled academically on local, statewide and national levels. Dr. Gilbert Evans, Vice President for Student Affairs, recognized Jodi Verkleir, Daniel Heckman and Kermit McCormack as the St. Augustine Campus inductees into the SJRCC Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Award is presented each year to a select number of students who are recommended by the faculty for their academic excellence and extracurricular involvement. Verkleir and Heckman were also recognized for the All USA Academic Team. Two applicants per campus are nominated each year for the Phi Theta Kappa honor society award. Both will attend the ceremony held in Tallahassee. Those recognized for Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges were: Kelly Anderson, Abraham Chatila, Craig Fiore, Gerald Forst III, Quintin Gibson, Amanda Gilson, Ronald Gross, Daniel Heckman, Jenny Howard, Travis Johnson, Anna Martin, Kermit McCormack, Swinita McKenzie, Brittany Moore, Carolyn Pierce, Jodi Verkleir, Cecilia Wilson and Michael Wise. Nell Freeman recognized PTK officers Jodi Verkleir (president), Rebekah Danielson, Daniel Heckman, Kermit McCormack, Shawna Petrello and Cecilia Wilson. In addition, PTK scholarships were awarded to Verkleir, Wilson, McCormack and Petrello as well as Nida Mahid, Joshua Canova, Elizabeth Adams, Dawn Alexander, Lauren Smith, Deborah Cuellar, JaNae Wadley, Casie St. Gelais, Jon Rench, Emmanuel Ercole-Auffray, Gerald Forst III, Kevin Deady, Mary Turner and John Scott. Student Activities Coordinator Frank Casey acknowledged Student Government officers Jon Rench (president), Manny Ercole (vice president), Daniel Heckman (treasurer), Rebekah Danielson (parliamentarian), Johanna Barrios (secretary) and representatives Jodi Verkleir, Marissa Harper and Dawn Alexander. Barrios and Ercole were also recognized as Student Ambassadors, as were Amanda Gilson, Kermit McCormack and Jon Rench. Tim Dowen, Jr. was recognized for serving as the AITP Club president; Crystal Hay was recognized by sponsor Francoise St. Onge for her service as president of the Fitness Club; Horseback Riding Club sponsor Linda Mackie, Ph.D., acknowledged president Rebecca Hill; and Speech Club sponsor John Green, Ph.D., acknowledged former president Amber Fulton and current president Rebekah Danielson for their service to the club. James Pope, SJRCC's coordinator of interpreters, recognized Brian Kelly, Jr. for his service as president of the Deaf Awareness Club. Colleen Conolly, Angela Logan and Matt Orberle were also acknowledged for outstanding service to the club. Science instructor Doug Applewhite, M.D., acknowledged Robert Neff as president of the Nature Club as well as Sara Sachs as the greatest contributor to the Nature Club. SJRCC social sciences professor Mark Little won Professor of the Year. Little has been teaching at the College for 11 years. Outstanding students in individual classes were recognized by their instructors. Award recipients were as follows: Business awards were presented to Krystal RosenBrock and Casie St. Gelais. Communications awards were presented to Emma Knight and Cecilia Wilson for achievement in Composition; Crystal Hay for Best Speaker; Tanya Boyazis for Best in Debate; and Klaus Smit and Robert Neff for Forensics Achievement. Education awards were presented to Rene Lebon and Gina Howard for achievement in Education, and to Casey Randolph for achievement in Art Skills for Elementary School Teachers. Humanities awards were presented to Cecilia Wilson and Lauren Kelly. Mathematics awards were presented to Klaus Smit, James Stam, Christina Clement and Andreas Ebner. Science awards were presented to Matthew Brown, Dominic Colosimo, Kayla Dunn and Christopher Leiker for Anatomy and Physiology I; Tiffany Bailey for Anatomy and Physiology II; Susan Elliott and Michelle Zavislak for Anatomy and Physiology I and II; Jennifer O'Connor for Anatomy & Physiology II and CRC Chemistry; Lindsey Modine for Introduction to Chemistry; Nida Mahid for Chemistry I and Principles of Biology II; Kermit McCormack for Organic Chemistry; Amanda Rapaport and James Smith for General Biology; Elizabeth Adams for Microbiology; Jennifer Wynne for Human Biology; and Anne Bastien for Zoology. Social science awards were presented to Laura Dey for American History; John Wilson for World Civilizations; Alexander Brown for Microeconomics; and Melissa Ocasio Rivera for Macroeconomics. Cathy Denny Awards were presented to the following students for excellence in writing: Brian Bailey Silver - first place in category I for his essay "The Seed;" Linda Faison - second place in category I for "Running the Race of My Life;" Maria Riley - third place in category I for "The Luck of the Irish;" Kristen Davis - first place in category II for "Reality Rapidly Dissolves;" John Wilson - second place in category II for "The Keeper;" and Allison Walter - third place in category II for "I Think We Got It." Students also had the opportunity to participate in other recreational activities throughout the academic year, including tournaments for ping pong, chess and billiards. Ezra Blaise and Jenny Edbom were recognized as the men's and women's ping pong champions. Marc Siegel was recognized as the chess tournament champion, and Manny Ercole and Beth Seyle were acknowledged as the men's and women's billiards champions. The ceremony also provided an opportunity for students to express their gratitude and appreciation to the faculty and staff at the St. Augustine Campus. The SJRCC student government presented social sciences instructor Mark Little with the Professor of the Year award and St. Augustine Campus bookstore manager Sandy Lee with the Heimdall Award. Student Activities Coordinator Frank Casey, who will be retiring this summer, was also presented with an Award of Appreciation for his contribution to student life on the St. Augustine Campus. SJRCC's active campus life is an open door for students to meet new people and take part in a dynamic teamwork and leadership capacity in clubs and organizations. These clubs and organizations provide extracurricular activities on campus and an opportunity for the students to participate in community service projects. PHOTO CAPTIONS: The St. Augustine Campus inductees into the SJRCC Hall of Fame. The award is presented each year to a select number of students who are recommended by the faculty for their academic excellence and extracurricular involvement. From left: Jodi Verkleir, Kermit McCormack and Daniel Heckman. Verkleir and Heckman also received the All USA Academic Team awards. SJRCC Who's Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges - First row, from left: Anna Martin, Cecilia Wilson and Kermit McCormack. Second row, from left: Jodi Verkleir, Amanda Gilson, Daniel Heckman and Dr. Gilbert Evans, Vice President for Student Affairs. Not pictured: Kelly Anderson, Abraham Chatila, Gerard Forst III, Quintin Gibson, Ronald Gross, Jenny Howard, Travis Johnson, Seinita McKenzie, Brittany Moore, Carolyn Pierce and Michael Wise. Return to SJRCC home page.