Megan Neill of Soldotna was inducted into the Harding University circle of Omicron Delta Kappa on April 17. Omicron Delta Kappa is a national leadership honor society with 293 circles nationwide, comprising of almost 300,000 scholars. Harding University is the only circle in Arkansas. Neill, a communication sciences and disorders major, was among the one percent of the student body invited to join the group this spring. Student membership candidates must rank in the upper 35 percent in scholarship of the University and must show leadership in at least one of five areas: scholarship; athletics; campus or community service, social and religious activities, and campus government; journalism, speech and the mass media; and creative and performing arts.
Nikiski resident and graduating University of Alaska Fairbanks senior, Eli Dawson Ward, received the Joel Wiegert Student of the Year Award Saturday at the university’s Wood Center annual breakfast ceremony.
The Wiegert Award is presented each year to the outstanding male senior graduate, who has demonstrated excellence in scholarship, character, personality, extracurricular activities, and contributions to the University and Fairbanks communities.
A lifelong Alaskan, Ward was born and raised on the Kenai Peninsula. Being raised in a single parent household, the value of hard work was instilled in him at an early age. This appreciation of hard work and tenacious mindset carried through into all aspects of life. He spent every semester on either the dean’s list or chancellor’s list for the duration of his college career while also volunteering his time to many different organizations. He was involved with the University of Alaska Fairbank’s Student Ambassador Program, participating in many recruitment events such as “Inside-Out” for adolescents in high school, “Kids2College” for children in elementary school, and tours to hundreds of potential students to show them what UAF has to offer. His time was also spent with multiple student professional organizations and honor societies with a goal to help his fellow classmates and underclassmen succeed and get the most out of their college careers.
After graduation, Ward is planning to work as a geotechnical engineer for the State of Alaska, focusing on the Southcentral Region. He is hoping to be very involved with the Alaskan community and do the most amount of good for the state he holds dearest to his heart.
Eli will be graduating Magna Cum Laude, with an Engineering Degree in Geology on May 8, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.
Kendra Brush of Soldotna was recognized during the 38th Annual Alaskan Bowhunters Association Awards Banquet, recently attended by approximately 275 bowhunters in Anchorage. Awards are given to successful bowhunters taking a trophy Alaskan big game animal.
Kendra was one of only four bowhunters to receive recognition for harvesting a large brown bear with her bow.
The awards were presented following a presentation by Cameron Hanes, well-known bowhunter from Oregon. Cameron’s talk recounted his recent Dall Sheep hunt with the legendary Roy Roth who was later killed on a sheep hunt on Pioneer Peak in the Chugach Mountains.
Has a new addition to your family just arrived? Where in the world is your military person and what are they up to? Got a new graduate, dean’s list student or an award-receiving youth?
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Eli Dawson Ward
