Northern students, faculty receive highest award

The Student Excellence Award is the highest award given by Montana State University-Northern. Provost William Rugg stood at a podium before a crowd in the Student Union Building Ballroom to give this year's recipients their plaques.

"If you have done an outstanding job as a student, we would like to recognize that," Rugg said.

Chancellor James Limbaugh spoke to the recipients before they received their awards.

"You represent the best of what we have to offer," Limbaugh said.

Each recipient of the award stood at the podium and gave their thanks to their family, friends and the faculty and staff of Northern. Some spoke of their past that led to their receiving the award and what they plan to do in the future.

"Every one of you has a unique success story," Rugg said.

After the 11 students received their awards, Student Senate President Annie Kling and Student Senate Vice President Ron Kling announced the winners of the Golden N Awards.

The Golden N Award is a more than 30-year tradition and is given to faculty and staff who have been nominated by the students for various reasons of which the student writes in their vote.

This year's winners of the Golden N Award are William Swartz, Barbara Zuck and Mark Sampson.

Students are nominated to receive the Student Excellence Award by Northern faculty and staff for their outstanding work in extracurricular activities and academics.

To be eligible for the award, students must meet several criteria, including having completed 60 credits by the end of the spring semester and having a 2.75 grade point average.

The 2014 recipients of the award are now immortalized in the list of winners since the award was given first in 1982.

The 2014 Student Excellence Award winners are: Taylor Bartholomew, Taylor Cummings, Caralee Fortin, Molly Grubb, Annie Kling, Ron Kling, Michael LaValley, Chris Reed, Randi Sunford, Bennett Taylor and Jaime Williams.