As the ETSU Spring 2022 semester nears its final days, the Department of Student Activities and Organizations (SAO) spent Tuesday evening recognizing individuals within the school who made this year an exceptional one.
In Ballroom 316 of the D.P Culp Student Center, SAO hosted the 20th annual Summit Awards to recognize the accomplishments and distinguished actions of outstanding campus programs and student leaders here at ETSU.
Hosted each year in the spring, the ceremony honors those who go above and beyond the standard of excellence for service outside of the classroom. The ceremony has been a pinnacle of recognition since the original 2002 ceremony.
On April 19 from 7-8:30 p.m., SAO delegated Tuesday evening to honor students outside the realm of academic achievement. From student organization presidents to ETSU faculty/staff advisors and other active student leaders, a variety of individuals were celebrated during the Summit Awards and recognized for their influence both inside and outside of the ETSU community.
With a parallel to the overall values of the university, award recipients were selected through an open nomination process that could be accessed by the public and focused primarily on the selfless notions of their actions.
The ceremony presented a number of awards, including Outstanding Programs and Program of the Year, recognizing outstanding student events and programs that took place during the 2021-2022 Calendar Year, Outstanding Student Organization Advisors, Outstanding Student Organization Presidents, Unsung Heroes, The One to Watch, PeaceBuilder Award, Jan Phillips Mentor Award, Most Improved Student Organization, Dorman G. Stout, Jr. Student Leadership Endowment, and the Citi Leadership Development Experience Scholarship.
Alexis Petrak, coordinator of student activities and organizations, and others within the department highly anticipated the ceremony and being able to honor the recipients inside and outside the university walls, especially after an incredibly hectic set of years with COVID-19 disrupting the normal flow of the community.
“We love watching student leaders who help make campus great get recognition for all their hard work,” said Petrak. “Students are often recognized for their academic achievements, but the Summit Awards are an annual opportunity to highlight what all students do outside of the classroom.”
To view the full list of this year’s winners, visit https://www.etsu.edu/students/sao/awards.php.
