- Home >
- Top Stories
Seniors honored for leadership, service
November 30, 2007
Seven graduating seniors were recognized for their involvement on campus and in the surrounding community at the induction ceremony for the Pinnacle Society last Wednesday.
Since the society was created in 2002, more than 90 students have been honored for exhibiting exceptional leadership and service. The Division of Student Life awards the honorary affiliation each semester as part of a number of student-recognition efforts.
This December’s inductees included Troy Andrade, Darcy Copeland, Sarah Lake, Kyle Nowadnick, Jacob Schonau-Taylor, Kelly Totten and Matthew Wuerffel. Students are nominated by faculty, staff and administrators. A committee selects the finalists, who receive a plaque and white sash to wear at graduation.
“PLU creates an environment that fosters helping others,” Schonau-Taylor said.
While Schonau-Taylor said he’s always been involved outside the classroom, he found it especially easy to be engaged at PLU. The university provides students with lots of options and people are excited to help, he said.
Schonau-Taylor has been a Sojourner Advocate and is currently the student assistant at the Wang Center for International Programs. He was also a member of the football team, where he was voted the Most Inspirational Player for the past three years and participated in the PLU Football Elementary Education Program.
“I feel like I learned more from these experiences than I’ve given,” he said. “You become involved in things you’re passionate about.”
Lake likened the awards to the PLU mission statement of “thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care.” She served as a resident assistant for two years and in her position, she tried to extend the feelings of home and community she felt on campus to her residents.
“I tried to make PLU a place where people could find home. I tried to get my residents involved, so I was involved up the wazoo,” she said. “It’s important to share your gift, and mine is to lead.”
Lake is a student trainer in the athletics department, and was awarded the Severtson/Forest Foundation Student Research Fellowship and the PLU Psychology Research Award. She was a research assistant for psychology professor Christine Moon and currenlty works on directed research with associate psychology professor Jon Grahe.
Like Schonau-Taylor, Lake was encouraged by her parents to be involved in activities beyond the classroom. Her parents were at last week’s ceremony, and her mother, Liz Lake, said the awards were “recognition of all her hard work.” While Lake’s schoolwork speaks for itself, the award recognizes all the intangible things she achieved at PLU, she explained.
Jen Thomas, assistant athletic trainer, nominated Lake for the award.
“With her experience as an RA and her research in the psychology department, I thought she was a perfect representation of sustained leadership in her time at PLU,” Thomas explained.
The accomplishments of the other inductees include:
University Communications staff writer Megan Haley compiled this report. Comments, questions, ideas? Please contact her at ext. 8691 or at haleymk@plu.edu. Photo by University Photographer Jordan Hartman.
This December’s inductees included Troy Andrade, Darcy Copeland, Sarah Lake, Kyle Nowadnick, Jacob Schonau-Taylor, Kelly Totten and Matthew Wuerffel. Students are nominated by faculty, staff and administrators. A committee selects the finalists, who receive a plaque and white sash to wear at graduation.
“PLU creates an environment that fosters helping others,” Schonau-Taylor said.
While Schonau-Taylor said he’s always been involved outside the classroom, he found it especially easy to be engaged at PLU. The university provides students with lots of options and people are excited to help, he said.
Schonau-Taylor has been a Sojourner Advocate and is currently the student assistant at the Wang Center for International Programs. He was also a member of the football team, where he was voted the Most Inspirational Player for the past three years and participated in the PLU Football Elementary Education Program.
“I feel like I learned more from these experiences than I’ve given,” he said. “You become involved in things you’re passionate about.”
Lake likened the awards to the PLU mission statement of “thoughtful inquiry, service, leadership and care.” She served as a resident assistant for two years and in her position, she tried to extend the feelings of home and community she felt on campus to her residents.
“I tried to make PLU a place where people could find home. I tried to get my residents involved, so I was involved up the wazoo,” she said. “It’s important to share your gift, and mine is to lead.”
Lake is a student trainer in the athletics department, and was awarded the Severtson/Forest Foundation Student Research Fellowship and the PLU Psychology Research Award. She was a research assistant for psychology professor Christine Moon and currenlty works on directed research with associate psychology professor Jon Grahe.
Like Schonau-Taylor, Lake was encouraged by her parents to be involved in activities beyond the classroom. Her parents were at last week’s ceremony, and her mother, Liz Lake, said the awards were “recognition of all her hard work.” While Lake’s schoolwork speaks for itself, the award recognizes all the intangible things she achieved at PLU, she explained.
Jen Thomas, assistant athletic trainer, nominated Lake for the award.
“With her experience as an RA and her research in the psychology department, I thought she was a perfect representation of sustained leadership in her time at PLU,” Thomas explained.
The accomplishments of the other inductees include:
- Andrade was a Rieke Leadership Award recipient, volunteer in the Diversity Center and active member of the Na Hoaloha o Hawai’i Club and Legal Studies Club. As a resident assistant, he helped lead various service projects, and he spent the past summer interning in the office of U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka in Washington, D.C.
- At PLU, Copeland was a member of the University Singers, the women’s crew team, the Opera Workshops and the Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadet Nursing Program. She’s traveled to South Africa, learning about the country’s health care system and the HIV/AIDS crisis, and to Kenya where she worked with the Kenyan Ministry of Education. In the ROTC program, Copeland’s served as the head nurse and nurse cadet mentor.
- Nowadnick’s campus involvement stems from his freshman year when he played Intramural Sports, sand Men’s Choir and later joined Concert Band. He’s a member of the American Marketing Association, Young Entrepreneur’s Society and Society of Human Resources. Nowadnick was part of the Red Carpet Club and led two service projects. He is currently vice president for membership and recruiting for the Society of Human Resources.
- As a red-shirt freshman football player, Totten was voted the team’s Freshman Player of the Year for his team spirit, positive attitude and contributions to the program – even though he didn’t play a down. His natural leadership abilities as an offensive lineman and co-captain helped shape the team. Totten’s worked in the alumni office as a student intern and was hired full-time this summer, where he manages and improved the office’s online services.
- Wuerffel has played on the lacrosse team and served as captain. This past spring, he was named First Team All American and an Academic All American, becoming the first PLU lacrosse player to receive both honors. He’s received a physics research fellowship, and attended conferences with PLU faculty. Wuerffel worked as a Gonyea Fellow at the Gonyea House during most of his PLU career.
University Communications staff writer Megan Haley compiled this report. Comments, questions, ideas? Please contact her at ext. 8691 or at haleymk@plu.edu. Photo by University Photographer Jordan Hartman.