The process for Elizabethtown College’s Distinguished Student Awards selection is currently under way. These awards are presented to two or three students from each class who demonstrate excellence in not only academic settings, but have exemplified the college’s motto of “Educate for Service.”
The nomination period, which was open to nominations from students, faculty and staff, ended on Feb. 6. After the nomination period, nominees who meet the basic GPA requirements, and are in good standing at the college, are sent an application and asked to write an essay.
Once all applications are received, the identifying features, such as names, are removed and each application is assigned a number. They are then sent to the Campus Life Committee, which is a panel consisting of Etown students, staff members and faculty. Each member of the committee ranks the applications from highest to lowest. Later next month, the committee members will meet and choose the recipients based on each member’s top choices.
The committee takes a number of criteria into account when ranking the applicants. These include how well they have combined curricular and co-curricular activities within their college experience. Specifically, they look for students who show their integration of the college’s Signature Learning attributes, which include relationship-centered learning, international and cross-cultural perspectives, real-world learning and purposeful life work, into their time at the college.
The awards will be presented to the recipients at the Student Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, Apr. 15.
Susan Lehman, assistant to the dean of students, said that the Campus Life Committee is always trying to raise awareness for the award, and will most likely be turning to social media to promote it in the future. She said that if more students are aware of the awards available, then more students will be more likely to strive for them.
On the award itself, Lehman said it emphasizes the positives of having a smaller college. “I think it’s a nice aspect of life on a small campus. I don’t think this could happen on a large campus.”
