WSU Celebrates Ceremony of Excellence Honorees
OGDEN, Utah – Each spring Weber State University’s Center for Multicultural Excellence (CME) hosts the Ceremony of Excellence to recognize top graduating seniors who have demonstrated excellence in a number of categories such as academics, leadership, community, teamwork, diversity and inclusion.
The recognition of this year’s 11 awardees occurs on the center’s website, and includes a video tribute highlighting each student’s academic accomplishments.
“These honorees will be inducted into a group of distinguished alumni,” said Michiko Nakashima-Lizarazo, CME director. “They have demonstrated excellence with their contributions and dedication to helping others, and have actively participated in making Weber State a better university for all students and the community.”
To qualify for the award, the recipients had to graduate in 2020-2021 with a grade point average of 3.2 or better. They had to identify as an ethnic minority, developed and embodied the ideals of the organization, and/or have experience working closely with diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The Top Graduating Seniors were selected from a pool of applicants voted on by a Ceremony of Excellence selection committee. Eligible students submit an application along with a letter of recommendation from a WSU faculty, mentor or supervisor, then the selection committee reviews and votes on the applications.
- Sultan Ayubi, applied environmental geoscience
- Jackeline Bedoya-Wilkinson, spanish and zoology
- Salvador Ceja-Monroy, political science
- Nadina Delgado, elementary education
- Jared Jensen, social work
- Gisela Lopez Alonso, social work and spanish
- Patrick Hong-Lok Luo, athletic therapy
Aeriel Martinez, early childhood education and elementary education- Ingrid E. Oseguera, spanish commercial emphasis
- Callie Oyama, communication
- Karina Torres, nursing
As with all the nominees, communication major Callie Oyama noted that the award is an exciting recognition of her hard work and dedication during her time at WSU.
“It means the world to me to receive this award,” Oyama said. “I have loved every moment of being involved with both The Ohana Association (TOA) and the CME. Winning is especially rewarding because of my cultural ties to the Pacific Islander community I was able to serve.”
Patrick Luo, an athletic therapy major who logged more than 1,520 volunteer community engagement hours, says the mentors and supporters he found at WSU helped cultivate his passion to help others and achieve his goals.
“I will be starting a Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore this fall and will graduate with my DPT in Summer 2024,” Luo said. “I hope to continue serving my community and potentially become a professor, business owner of a healthcare facility, and run for a city or state representative position to improve the healthcare and education system.”
This is the 12th year Weber State has selected students for the Ceremony of Excellence recognition. Honorees were celebrated at a virtual ceremony on April 23.
For photos of the graduates, visit this link.
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
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