Today@Sam Article
Orange Keys Recognize Faculty, Staff For 'Excellence'
Nov. 10, 2016
SHSU Media Contact: Dawine Bergeron
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| Faculty and staff recognized by Orange Keys during the first Keys of Excellence Award ceremony, pictured with their nominators, include David Yebra, Margaret Ferguson, John Yarabeck, Philip Lyons and Peter Roussel. Not pictured was Jesse Bernal. —Photo by Brian Blalock |
The Orange Keys Student Ambassadors honored Sam Houston State University faculty and staff who have made an impact on their lives with the first Keys of Excellence Award ceremony on Nov. 8.
The event was held at the Katy and E. Don Walker Sr. Walker Education Center, where SHSU President Dana G. Hoyt presented awards to director of emergency preparedness and safety David Yebra, Student Advising and Mentoring Center associate director for academic support programs Margaret Ferguson, Dean of Students John Yarabeck, College of Criminal Justice Dean Phillip Lyons, Phillip G. Warner Endowed Chair of Mass Communication Peter Roussel, and director for accepted students and Bearkat Orientation Jesse Bernal.
The idea for the ceremony came from Texas State University alumna and associate dean of students Chelsea Smith who remembered that her alma mater has a program in which the student foundation recognizes professors who have made an impact in the community, in the lives of students, in research, and beyond.
“We got the concept about two years ago and the Orange Keys really liked the idea. We started putting it together, figured out how to make it a Bearkat tradition and came up with the idea to honor faculty and staff who have positively impacted the lives of an Orange Key,” Smith said.
The process began with current Orange Keys members nominating a select group of faculty and staff, followed by the faculty and staff submitting an application. The Orange Key members then ranked the top six applicants.
“This ceremony is important because it gives the Orange Keys the opportunity as one of the top, elite student groups on campus to say ‘thank you’ and give back to the people who have helped them,” said Smith. “We have people who have been at school for a long time are highly recognized, and we also have people who have just recently come to Sam but have already made an impact on the lives of students. The idea is to honor and recognize each individual for their contributions.”
Emily Snider, Orange Keys president, said that she is excited to see where the program takes the event in the future.
“As an Orange Key, I receive the opportunity to interact with many faculty, staff and prestigious alumni whom I would not network with on a daily basis. These people have helped me throughout my college career from teaching me great things,” Snider said.
“Keys of Excellence is an important event because we, as Orange Keys, strongly believe that we would not be in the positions that we are in without the help of the people that we are recognizing,” she said. “These members of the faculty and staff became mentors to us and we feel that they should be recognized for impacting not only the lives of the Orange Keys, but the lives of other students, as well.”
Smith emphasized the importance of Keys of Excellence and the impact that faculty and staff have had, and continue to have, in the lives of students.
“I think it’s really important that the Orange Keys want these faculty and staff to know what they’ve done for them, Smith said. “I’m really excited that this is a new event that the Orange Keys themselves get to do. Hopefully, it becomes a tradition on campus in the aspect that faculty and staff will be recognized for the work that they have done for and with this particular group and their lives.”
For more information, contact Smith at 936.294.1785 or chelsea.smith@shsu.edu.
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