On Wednesday April 23 Saint Xavier University hosted the Outstanding Achievement Awards for students who excel in their fields of study. The event held in the Butler Reception room allowed for students from various fields to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to their fields of study. Some of the fields where awards were given included the biological sciences, communication, and sociology. The entire program ran for just over an hour and featured many professors giving praise and reflecting on the students receiving the awards.
Students who were in attendance were invited to bring their friends and family to the event, and many did just that. The overwhelming majority of the crowd present, consisted of friends and family members of the students receiving the awards. Before the start of the awards presentation the attendants were welcomed by many faculty members and offered food and refreshments.
As the ceremony opened a few words were said about the students receiving awards that night, and the format of the ceremony was presented to the crowd. The faculty members from the different fields each approached the podium throughout the presentation to give their award to the honored students from their field of study. The awards that were presented ranged from award checks, to certificates, and even textbooks. Senior English Major and English award recipient Margaret Collins expressed her enjoyment of the presentation. “It was nice to see some of the talented students at Saint Xavier be appreciated for their hard work,” stated Collins.
This appreciation towards the honorees was quite noticeable throughout the night as faculty members spoke about the exploits of their students. Senior Paige Jeffrey stated, “I feel so honored to have received SXU’s Outstanding Psychology Student Award. Being a psychology major at SXU has been such a rewarding experience, and it’s nice to know that all my hard work was recognized by faculty and staff.”
The statements that were given by faculty towards the honorees contained appreciable stories from the past, and complements towards the growth of the honorees across their time at Saint Xavier University. A total of 24 senior students were honored at the ceremony, and the work that these students put into their fields of study is incredible. As the faculty recounted the times they had worked with the students, the crowd was given a glimpse of the dedication these honored students have for their fields of study. The work of these honored students included independent research, academic excellence, and volunteer work done during their time at Saint Xavier University. As the night of celebration and recollection concluded, one final award was given to a faculty member who had stood out for their work in the arts and sciences.
This year’s award went to Dr. Sandra Burkhardt from the Psychology Department of Saint Xavier University. Dr. Burkhardt concluded the ceremony with a meditation of her time at Saint Xavier University, and gave thanks towards those who helped her pursue her academic and research career.
Jake Alleruzzo
News Editor
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