Junior Molina-Nogal, Music Education and Teacher Licensure
Nominated by Dan Goble & Erik Johnson
Junior Molina-Nogal has dedicated himself to excellence in the field. Being a first generation student whose parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico, Molina-Nogal brought a unique perspective to his program. His 3.6 GPA is proof of his dedication and commitment to becoming an educator. Beyond earning his degree, Molina-Nogal also traveled internationally to share his talents with students in Mexico as a way to connect with is heritage and grow professionally. After graduation, Molina-Nogal hopes to work in the field as an educator for a few years before moving on to graduate school. He sees his career as an opportunity to create a culture of servitude, humility, respect and curiosity for his students.
Omar Sanchez Villalobos , Ethnic Studies and Business Administration
Nominated by Eric Ishiwata & Megan Skeehan
Omar Sanchez Villalobos is a first generation college student and a DREAMer. He has worked closely with ethnic studies associate professor Eric Ishiwata to empower the futures of refugee high school students in Fort Morgan and to help bridge the divide between the refugee population and other residents. Sanchez Villalobos also helped create an anti-bullying campaign at Fort Morgan High School by facilitating focus groups and directing conversations to help students connect with each other through empathy. He worked diligently to organize a campus visit for a group of Fort Morgan High School students this past spring. After graduating Sanchez Villalobos seeks to use his ethnic studies degree to support those who face discrimination based on gender, sexuality, class, race and ethnicity within the construction industry.
Elizabeth Hale, International Studies, Arabic, Spanish, Middle East & North African Studies, Religious Studies
Nominated by Andrea Williams & Richard Johnson
Elizabeth Hale has worked as a College of Liberal Arts ambassador for the past three years and has won several scholarships, including the highly prestigious Truman scholarship. Hale has studied abroad in Jordan to complement her concentration in the Arabic language. She has an amazingly positive, upbeat attitude and works hard to promote liberal arts programs to future Rams. Hale has overcome many challenges while completing her degree. Her hard work and perseverance and lead to her status as a revered undergraduate student among CSU faculty. During the summer of 2017 Hale will be participating in the Truman Summer Institute, an eight-week public service internship in Washington DC.
Lindsey Tschappat, Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts, English
Nominated by Jessie Stewart
Lindsey Tschappat is an innovative student who has created her own education path that encompasses her passions of yoga and writing. She is wrapping up her studies at Chiang Mai University in Thailand where she is teaching yoga and participating in the LeaderShape program. As a life-long learner, Tschappat finds joy in creating and studying the liberal arts. After graduation she will lead a week-long yoga retreat in Bali, then travel to India to complete her second 500 hour yoga teacher-training certification program.
Duy Nguyen, Arts, Graphic Design, Printmaking, Information Science and Technology Interdisciplinary Minor
Nominated by Katie Courage
Duy Nguyen is a nontraditional student who earned his first bachelor of fine arts degree in Ohio, where he grew up, before serving in the U.S. Air Force for several years. Upon completing his service he moved to Colorado to attend CSU, earning his second bachelor’s degree in graphic design this fall. Nguyen has completed graphic design work for for high-profile clients on campus including the Campus Recreation Center and College of Natural Sciences, as well as for a design firm in Longmont. His work has been featured CSU’s art galleries.
Hannah Armfield, English, Creative Writing, Literature, History
Nominated by Joanna Doxey
Hannah Armfield arrived at CSU as a transfer student from Front Range Community College. With a passion for creative writing and an interest in literature, Armfield completed her internship requirements as the poetry editor for the Greyrock Review literary magazine. As a student, Armfield’s professors describe her as quiet and humble, yet notice that she shines brightest when using her voice through creative writing and poetry. Armfield is graduating this December with a 4.0 GPA. She plans to pursue an internship for literary publishing where she hopes to become an editor.
Willow Elliot, English, Creative Writing and Business Administration
Nominated by Joanna Doxey
During her time at CSU, Willow Elliot’s professors have admired her industrious personality. Her ability to manage work and school speaks volumes about Elliot’s dedication to completing her degree. She has a love for languages and creative writing and took Italian classes, volunteered at the Wolverine Farm Bookstore, and was an associate poetry editor for the Greyrock Review during the 2015-2016 academic year. She is also passionate about taking care of animals. After graduation she hopes to split her time between creating an on-line magazine while also using her business minor to draw-up plans for her own business venture: an animal boarding facility.
Josh Horner, International Studies, Spanish, Latin American Studies
Nominated by Andrea Williams & Kelly McGregor
Josh Horner is graduating with a degree in International Studies and concentrations in Spanish and Japanese. While studying abroad in Argentina and Japan, Horner gained an appreciation for foreign languages and cultures. He completed his capstone seminar thesis with a personal narrative about his struggles with ADHD. He describes his experience of ADHD as distracting, constant ‘noise’ that makes it hard to focus. Horner, however, has excelled academically, and his ebullient personality – bright, funny, and positive – enriches the classroom. Outside of his cultural and language studies, Horner also found inspiration in the Music Department as member of the non-audition ensemble at CSU. He recently applied to teach in Japan, and someday hopes to work for the State Department in a diplomacy role. Read more about Horner’s path to graduation on SOURCE.
Mary Ricker, Journalism and Media Communications
Nominated by John Straayer
Mary Ricker has worked for the Office of Orientation and Transition Programs since 2015. As a transfer student herself, she enjoyed welcoming transfer students to CSU and gained valuable skills in communication. Through the Department of Political Science, Ricker was able to work as a Legislative Intern at the Colorado General Assembly. She also worked as a Campus Organizing Fellow during this year’s election. She is interested in how governments and elected official can effectively utilize new media to communicate with constituents and general audiences. After graduation, Ricker plans to attend graduate school at American University to study political communication.
Robert Bernhart, Spanish
Nominated by José Luis Suárez-García
Robert Bernhart is a unique student with a high level of curiosity. He enjoys learning about literature and culture and does not limit himself to the content presented in class. He takes detailed notes so he can continue researching topics that interest him and expand his already very rich vocabulary and good command of Spanish grammar. Bernhart is an excellent writer and a mindful communicator. After graduation he will work as a project coordinator for a local language services company while pursuing an online master’s degree in Spanish to English translation through the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Jose Guzman, Anthropology
Nominated by CSU Online
By almost any definition, Jose Guzman is a non-traditional college student. The 61-year-old resident of Avon, Colo., has worked his way through careers in electronics and business, choosing to purse a third career – in anthropology – with a degree from CSU Online. Guzman, the son of a Peruvian father and American mother, grew up in Lima. In 2015 he led a tour of Machu Picchu and the surrounding region, and now plans to lead more tours. He hopes to utilize the profits to fund studies of the indigenous peoples of the region and help them preserve their culture. He has a particular interest in shamanism and would like to study medical anthropology in graduate school. Read more about Guzman’s path to graduation on SOURCE.