2024 Student Excellence Awards
It is my distinct honor to welcome our honorees and their family and friends to this page where we showcase the accomplishments of members of our campus community. The Student Excellence Awards began more than 10 years ago to showcase the amazing service, commitment, teamwork, persistence, grit, and campus involvement our students possess. Many of these students have overcome great obstacles in the path to earning their degree, and have shown tremendous perseverance and determination in continuing to pursue advanced learning. I am incredibly proud of each and every student featured below and their accomplishments. They wholeheartedly embody what’s best about SUNY Canton.
Among the students recognized here are trailblazers, philanthropists, leaders, and scholars of the highest order. These students have received glowing nominations from their peers, their faculty, and administrative staff who have recognized the excellent work they have done on our campus and in their communities.
I’d like to also thank the Student Excellence Awards Committee: a tireless group of individuals from across campus who reviewed, analyzed, and debated on hundreds of applications for these awards, and were able to come to a consensus on the honorees. I wouldn’t be able to honor all of these amazing students without your collaborative work.
I extend my most sincere congratulations to our award recipients on their tremendous achievements and look forward to all they accomplish as they complete their education at SUNY Canton and beyond.
Courtney Battista Bish
Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students
SUNY Chancellors Award for Student Excellence
The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence honors State University of New York students who have best demonstrated their integration of academic excellence with other aspects of their lives, which may include leadership, campus involvement, athletics, career achievement, community service or creative and performing arts. View previous recipients.
Sebastien Paquette
Construction Technology: Management &
Civil & Environmental Engineering Technology
Samuel Dieubeni Diffo Tchuenkam
Finance
Outstanding Graduate - Baccalaureate
Each year, SUNY Canton honors an outstanding graduate in a Baccalaureate degree program. Nominees for this award are judged on scholarship, personality, and contribution to the community. Students presented with this award have a GPA of 3.50 or higher, have been at SUNY Canton for at least one year, and are eligible to graduate with their baccalaureate degree. View previous recipients.
Cadin C. Taggart
Sports Management
Outstanding Graduate - Associate
Each year, SUNY Canton honors an outstanding graduate in an Associate degree program. Nominees for this award are judged on scholarship, personality, and contribution to the community. Students presented with this award have a GPA of 3.50 or higher, have been at SUNY Canton for at least one year, and are eligible to graduate with their associates degree. View previous recipients.
Tylan P. Emch
Veterinary Science Technology
Excellence In Student Life Award
The Excellence in Student Life Award is given out annually to individuals whose actions have positively and forever impacted and inspired Student Life at SUNY Canton through their campus involvement, commitment to excellence, mentorship, guidance, and leadership. Each year, at least one student and one campus employee is recognized by this prestigious honor. View previous recipients.
Paige Euson
Health & Fitness Promotion
Guyenna Jumelle
Applied Psychology
Nichole Fullerton
Catering & Dining Specialist
Umesh Kumar
Professor - Tech Mgmt: Financial Services
David R. Maynard Award
Each year we present a student with the David R. Maynard Student Activities Award, an award given to a student who has contributed significantly to the campus community and student activities. David was a member of the class of 1986 who died in a motorcycle accident shortly after graduation. David was highly involved on campus in clubs, Greek Life, and intramurals, and was revered for his skill as a student leader. This award is given in his honor, and as a testament to his truly influential presence at SUNY Canton. The recipient of the award must demonstrate superior citizenship and outstanding leadership, as well generously devote their time to student activities. View previous recipients.
Alondra Jalyn E. Maranda
Criminal Investigation
Northstar Award
A student-given award to an employee of SUNY Canton who has gone above and beyond to assist students in reaching their full potential. All SUNY Canton employees (faculty, professional staff, administration, secretarial staff, maintenance, College Association staff, food service staff) who have been employed for at least one semester during the current academic year are eligible for nomination. View previous recipients.
Chelsea A. DeGroat
Assistant Director of Student Engagement & Greek Affairs
Humanitarian Award
These awards are given in recognition of students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 who have demonstrated a documentable act of humanitarianism worthy of campus recognition. View previous recipients.
Denise Maslin
Nursing
Leaders of Tomorrow Award
These students are leaders of a team, group, or organization; students who give their time and expertise to promote teamwork and accomplishment, while maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50. View previous recipients.
Hope Aniceto
Sports Management
Taylor Cady
Veterinary Technology
Justine Louise Cora
Homeland Security
Gracyn Emmerton
Health & Fitness Promotion
Leo Golden
Civil & Env Engineering Tech
Mathew Greene
Civil & Env Engineering Tech
Steven House
Mechatronics Technology
Muzamil Kaila
Automotive Technology
Allison Paige Lashway
Criminal Investigation
October Lukach
Funeral Services Admin
Alondra Jalyn E. Maranda
Criminal Investigation
Kelley McDougal
Health Care Management
Aaron Mejia
Electrical Engineering Tech
Jorge Meraz
Electrical Engineering Tech
Samantha L Munson
Nursing
Calvin Reid
Cybersecurity
Mayella Rubin
Physical Therapist Assistant
Daniel Sewdat
Health Care Management
Evan Velasquez
Game Design and Development
Chastity Wardell
Applied Psychology
Phoenix Award
A phoenix is a mythical bird with a colorful plumage and a tail of gold and scarlet. It has a 500- to 1000-year life cycle, near the end of which it builds itself a nest of twigs – which then ignite; both nest and bird are burned, reduced to ashes, only to arise and be reborn again. This award is given in recognition of those students who have either transformed themselves or persisted through some difficult odds to succeed as students at SUNY Canton. View previous recipients.
Diana Dara Albright
Health Care Management
Hayleigh Armstrong
Physical Therapist Assistant
Natalie Bartle
Health & Fitness Promotion
Elizabeth James
Management
Alexas Marshall
Finance
Jayda Pina
Early Childhood Care & Mgt
Kevin Strader
Liberal Arts-General Studies
Gwendolyn Werth
Applied Psychology
Carlena Wright
Applied Psychology
Pillars of Character Award
Nominees for this award exemplify the pillars of good character in our Campus Creed (honesty, respectfulness, responsibility, fairness, citizenship, caring). View previous recipients.
Ismail Abdelmegied
Game Design and Development
Zarif Hanif
Emergency Management
Guyenna Jumelle
Applied Psychology
Richard Lebel
Construction Tech: Management
Alondra Jalyn E. Maranda
Criminal Investigation
Dorothy Moffitt
Veterinary Technology
Jane Pancoe
Nursing
Viktoria Lovelyne Pierre
Veterinary Technology
Alexis Teri Pitts
Criminal Investigation
Jakob VanDerMeere
Game Design and Development
Dylan Vanderpool
Cybersecurity
Spirit of Success Award
These awards are given in recognition of students who maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.20 and have demonstrated active citizenship in the college community. View previous recipients.
Cassidy Antwi
Early Childhood
Benjamin A. Boyd
Applied Psychology
Steven House
Mechatronics Technology
Hui Fang Hu
Graphic and Multimedia Design
Sister Bethany Fitzgerald, S.S.J., Sustainability Award
Sister Bethany, a lifelong resident of the North Country and a member of the religious Sisters of St. Joseph out of Watertown, NY, served as a campus minister for both SUNY Canton and St. Thomas More Newman Center. As an ardent supporter of a sustainable lifestyle, she endlessly labored to raise awareness of sustainability in the community, stressing all that we need to be good stewards of our planet Earth. This award is an extension of those efforts and recognizes student who have maintained a minimum GPA of 2.50 and have demonstrated, by action, the importance of being good stewards of the Earth. View previous recipients.
Kenneth Arquette
Nursing