During Champions week from April 7 to April 13, Texas A&M University-Kingsville recognized students’ excellence in leadership, academics, community service, student work, research and creativity.
Kirsten Compary, dean of students, explained how the university used to participate in the Who’s Who Among Students, one of the most highly regarded and long-standing honors programs in the nation. The program earned overwhelming respect from college faculties and administrations, and the student recognition is regarded as the pinnacle of scholastic achievement.
About two summers ago the organization notified all participating colleges and universities that they were conducting a strategic review and would not be accepting nominations. Therefore, TAMUK transformed the Who’s Who into Javelina Champions by instilling the same criteria and highlighting the students’ service to their community and school.
This year was the fourth annual Javelina Champions week.
“We know how hard you work, study, if have children who depend on you, and yet you come to school and excel and participate in various activities. It’s not easy so thank you because each and every one of you are champions,” said Terisa Riley, senior vice president of student affairs.
On April 11 at the MVP and All-Star Reception, nine distinguished students who had been nominated for the Javelina Champions MVP awards were acknowledged. The winners are as follows: Newcomer of the Year – Aryssa Enriquez; Humanitarian Award – Kany Drame; Outstanding Future Professional – Francisco Haces-Garcia; Unsung Hero – Kayla Carm; First Generation Champion – Juan Ovalle; Non-traditional Student Champion – Rebecca Ybarra-Leal; Javelina Legacy Champion – Ruben Martinez; Student Worker of the Year – Eutimio Alaniz, Jr.; and The Phoenix Award – Chris Cooke. Each recipient excelled in a specific field, displayed a marvelous work ethic, a generous demeanor or a respectable attitude.
Drame, winner of the Humanitarian Award, stuck out from fellow students because of her desire to help others in developing countries, to branch out and her selfless mindset. Drame will be joining the Peace Corp and leaving to Cameroon, Africa in September for more than two years and will work as a community health educator.
“I was just browsing through my phone and I see an ad for the Peace Corps and I was like ‘what is this?’ And I’m already into volunteering. I really love it like I try and do as much volunteering as I can. And I’m also into traveling a lot as well and so I thought what best two ways of combining them together especially when I can do service in a developing country, a country where it is more needed than maybe perhaps America, not to say America doesn’t need it, but I was quite intrigued to branch out to as far as I could go,” Drame said.
The MVPs and their nominees were recognized at the event Thursday. And, 150 Javelina All Stars were recognized as well.