Citrus College has announced the winners of its 2020-2021 Academic Achievement Awards.
The four different award categories are distinguished student award, athlete of the year, key of knowledge and service leader of the year.
The nomination process has not changed during the pandemic.
Key of Knowledge Award
The Key of Knowledge Award is granted to 10 students who have achieved the college’s highest overall academic performance. This year’s winners are Destiny Contreras, Missael Cuevas Chavez, Ileanna Garcia, Ayah Halabi, Leah Amezquita Hartwell, Paulina Pimentel-Mora, Austin Riggs, Daniel Roca, Rita Ta and Marina Zaza.
In an email interview, Dean of Students Maryann Tolano-Leveque said the transcripts of students with the highest GPAs are reviewed by a committee of administrators and faculty to ensure that their coursework represents a rigorous combination of general education and major courses, a minimum of 34 units completed and full-time enrollment for at least two of the last three semesters.
“The Key of Knowledge is the college’s highest academic honor,” Tolano-Leveque said.
Athlete of the Year Award
Tolano-Leveque said coaches nominate and endorse candidates for Athlete of the Year award. This year’s winners are women’s basketball player Juliana Garcia Man, softball player Hailee Reinert and cross country runner Nicholas Ishibashi Jung.
The award’s criteria is based on the recipients’ overall performance as athletes as well as their academic records, Tolano-Leveque said.
“Most athletes who receive this award are also transferring to a four-year college or university,” Tolano-Leveque said.
Distinguished Student Award
Distinguished Student Awards are awarded to students who have demonstrated high academic performance in a given program, as well as their class participation and contribution to the learning environment by the faculty representing each program, Tolano-Leveque said.
She said that the number of students awarded is determined by the total number of students enrolled in a program’s courses. This year 106 students received the award.
“Students may be, and often are, recognized by more than one program,” Tolano-Leveque said.
Service Leader of the Year Award
Graduating students who have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and a minimum of 30 units completed at Citrus College are awarded the Service Leader of the Year Award, Tolano-Leveque said. They are judged on their academic achievement and volunteer service to the college and community.
Nominations are made by faculty and a committee of representatives from the college’s constituent groups screens and selects the recipients, Tolano-Leveque said.
Kenneth Franco and Leah Amezquita Hartwell are this year’s winners.
Student Achievement Awards are usually celebrated in-person with an awards ceremony at Haugh Performing Arts Center, Tolano-Leveque said. However, the ceremony is not happening and certificates will be mailed to winners due to COVID-19.
Tolano-Leveque said that the Distinguished Student award winners receive certificates and all other categories will receive plaques. When in-person, there is also an awards ceremony hosted by the Division of Student Affairs in the Haugh Performing Arts Theater on campus.
Leah Amezquita Hartwell, a sophomore honors student at Citrus College, is the ASCC commissioner of activities and vice president of fellowship at Phi Theta Kappa. She won the Key of Knowledge and Service Leader of the Year award this year.
“I knew Key of Knowledge existed because my sister had gotten it as well when she went to Citrus College, but it wasn’t something that I had in mind,” Hartwell said. “It wasn’t until my counselor asked me what my involvement out of Citrus was and she said that she would put in a word for me to be nominated.”
She discovered the Service Leader of the Year Award from professor Brian Waddington while participating in Phi Theta Kappa.
“For Service Leader of the Year I didn’t know it was something until someone told me about it. I started to look it up and saw the people that won it last year and what they did for it,” Hartwell said. “From Phi Theta Kappa, Professor Brian Waddington who was an advisor, reached out to me to nominate me.”
She credits her hours on Zoom with Waddington and other PTK members for her success.
“It’s not as much about who you know, but more about how involved you are in Citrus,” Hartwell said.
