Twelve awards went to students and faculty members of Bakersfield College at the 2015 Student Leadership and Recognition Awards Ceremony.
The award ceremony was held on April 24 in the Campus Center’s Fireside Room in recognition of the nominees and winners’ merit this academic school year.
Master of Ceremonies Francis Meyer led the ceremony and first welcomed Zav Dadabhoy, vice president of Student Affairs. Next to address the room was Academic Senate president and social science professor Steven Holmes.
Holmes started off his speech with a joke and ended with some advice to potential and future leaders in the room.
“You guys are the future, you have the skills and now you need to take those skills out into the world and continue to motivate and challenge others to follow you, so we can be a successful community, congratulations again, to all of you,” said Holmes.
Associate Dean Paul Beckworth also started out with a joke, then congratulated the nominees on being hard workers, leaders, and keeping their eyes on the road ahead of them and their to strive to move forward.
“You know where you are, you know who you are, and you know where your going…now the most important part of that is knowing where your going and where you are currently is dependant on knowing who you are,” said Beckworth. “You guys have accomplished something because of your own work ethic.”
The last speaker before the award presentations was BCSGA President Alex Dominguez. He told of his appreciation of all his colleagues, the people he had a chance to work with and how he has appreciated their dedication to BC. Dominguez also gave a challenge out to all the leaders in the room and told them to spread their knowledge and their skills to better the community.
The first five awards that were given out were the Student Leadership Individual Awards followed by the Student Organization Awards, The Samuel W. McCall Outstanding Professor of the Year Award, the Grace Van Dyke Bird Leadership Scholarship Award and the Alumni Association Honor Scholarship Award.
The Student Employee of the Year Award went to Robert Ruiz from the Counseling Center. The next award was an award that has never been given out at BC and that is the MVR (Most Valuable Renegade), which is given to an intercollegiate student athlete who showed great contribution to the quality of life for their teammates, and the MVR Award went to Renegade wrestler Jack Murphy, who had a perfect wrestling season.
The Event of the Year of the Award went to the Faith and Culture, event put on by the Muslim Student Association and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
The Muslim Student Association took home the Student Organization of the Year award and Susan Pinza, adviser of the BC Tutoring Club, won the Outstanding Student Organization Advisor award.
The Samuel W. McCall Outstanding Professor of the Year Award went to Steven Holmes.
BC director of student life Nicky Damania had the honor of closing the award ceremony, where he thanked this year’s officers, his office staff and the office of student life and told next year’s student officers he looks forward to working with them.