NAU recognizes outstanding seniors during award ceremony
President Rita Cheng poses with President’s Prize winners during the Nov. 10 ceremony. From left: Justin Wilgus, Crystae Rohman and President Cheng.
Dozens of graduating seniors received honors Tuesday night recognizing them for their contributions to Northern Arizona University.
Twenty-two students received the university’s coveted Gold Axe Award for their achievements. Two of the winners—Crystae Rohman and Justin Wilgus—also received the prestigious President’s Prize for their exemplary leadership, academic excellence and service to the NAU community.
Eight students pictured below also were named Distinguished Seniors by their college. The awards were announced at the Gold Axe and Distinguished Seniors awards banquet in Ashurst Auditorium.
Taylor Brooks Psychological Sciences College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Daniel Camarillo Finance W.A. Franke College of Business
Sherri Castro Public Administration Extended Campuses
Michael Hastings Mathematics, Physics College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences
KarenAnn Mancha Elementary and Special Education College of Education
Jocelyn Maurer Nursing College of Health and Human Services
Tanya Moore French Global Sciences, Environmental Sciences College of Arts and Letters
Not Pictured: Catherine Khederian, University Studies major, was named the Fall 2015 Distinguished Senior for University College.
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. It was then that 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.
Students selected for a Gold Axe Award also are eligible for the President’s Prize, considered the highest student recognition from the university. After reviewing all the Gold Axe nominations, a university wide committee makes its recommendations to President Rita Cheng, who then selects the President’s Prize winners.
Below are the winners of this semester’s Gold Axe awards, along with the NAU faculty or staff member the students named as having the most significant impact on them during their undergraduate career. View a photo album from the event online.
Amanda Barnes Exercise Science Richard Coast, Biological Sciences
Kayla Boxberger Finance, Marketing Lisa Majure, W.A. Franke College of Business
Samantha Briguglio Exercise Science Richard Coast, Biological Sciences
Patrick Burdell Applied Human Behavior James Subach, Extended Campuses