NAU honors President’s Prize, Gold Axe, Distinguished Senior recipients at banquet

Nov. 26, 2018

Northern Arizona University announced 28 Gold Axe recipients, three of which were named President’s Prize recipients, at a banquet on Nov. 19, honoring the most accomplished students in the class of 2018 as well as distinguished seniors from each college.

Recipients of the President’s Prize, the most prestigious award NAU offers to undergrads, were chosen from among the Gold Axe winners. They are April Huckleberry, a biomedical science and Spanish major from Tucson who wants to attend medical school and provide health care to bilingual and uninsured patients; Anika Shanelle Martin, a health sciences major from Honolulu who plans to earn a master’s degree in public health and work in health promotion, using the leadership skills she gained during her involvement in student groups at NAU; and Chandler Emerald McCormick, an environmental and sustainability studies and political science major from Bozeman, Montana, who interned in Washington, D.C. and trained people on climate advocacy and lobbying and would like to return to D.C. to work in environmental policy.

The distinguished seniors, which each college selects from its graduates, are Samantha Jones, Emily Fleckenstein, Jacob Barker, Amalee Nunnally, Anika Shanelle Martin, Jake Carrasco, Adriana Martin De Le Torre and Bethany Eppard.

“NAU is dedicated to students’ success, and we believe there is no better way to build a strong future than by investing in their education,” President Rita Cheng said. “It is extraordinary how much these students have accomplished and grown throughout their time at NAU.”

The tradition of the Gold Axe Award dates back to 1933, a year after the student body adopted the axe as the symbol for Lumberjack athletics. NAU adopted the tradition of awarding small gold axe pins to outstanding members of the student body. To this day, the gold axe pin is considered the official emblem of the Associated Students of NAU and is presented each semester to recognize students’ outstanding achievements and distinguished service to the university and the greater community.