WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 music 00:00:05.000 --> 00::.000 captioning in progress 00:00:05.000 --> 00:00:10.000 My name is Tina Fuchs and I serve as the Interim Vice President for Student Affairs. 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:18.000 I have the privilege of announcing the recipients of the highest honors Western Oregon University bestows on its 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:24.000 graduating undergraduates each year. The award: the Delmer Dewey and Julia McCulloch Smith Award 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:30.000 is given to students that have achieved excellence at academics and leadership during their time 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:36.000 at Western Oregon University. Representing this year's graduating class, these students 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:40.000 will offer remarks to the graduating class during this award season. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:46.000 Historically, the Delmer Dewy Award was established in 1954 by the Dad's Club 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:51.000 in tribute to the former Dean of Men, Delmer Dewey. The Julia McCulloch Smith Award 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:55.000 began in 1931 to acknowledge a woman with great proficiency 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:59.000 in scholarship and great success in student activities. 00:00:59.000 --> 00:00:63.000 Since 2015, these rewards were combined into one respectively, 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:08.000 and are now given to the two most deserving undergraduates based on their accumulation 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:12.000 of their academic success and their co curricular activities. 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:16.000 A committee of faculty and staff reviews a list of nominated seniors. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:20.000 As you can well imagine, selecting these award recipients from 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:24.000 from among Western Oregon's excellent student body is never an easy task 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:27.000 and the committee works very hard to make this difficult decision. 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:31.000 The first recipient for the Delmer Dewy Julia McCulloch Smith Award is a 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:36.000 first generation college student and participated in the Honors program. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:41.000 She excels academically and has made time to serve as a student leader in several capacities. 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:47.000 Students, faculty, and staff who know her describe her as someone with a strong drive to succeed, 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:52.000 the ability to advocate for others, and the desire to always present her best work. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:57.000 It's my distinct pleasure to recognize Cheyanne Bumgardner as our first recipient 00:01:57.000 --> 00:01:61.000 of the Dewey Delmer Julia McCullough Smith Award. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:08.000 Cheyanne was nominated because of her combination of academic achievement and commitment to student success. 00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:12.000 Let me share some of this student's accomplishments. 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:17.000 First, she is completing her degree in American Sign Language English Interpreting. 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:23.000 As previously mentioned, she is in Honors program and will graduate summa cum laude this June. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:27.000 She has an extensive list of honors and achievements. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:31.000 Her Honors thesis work is on a topic that requires academic dedication. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:36.000 The topic is unusual and fascinating. It is titled, "More to the Story: 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:42.000 A Multifaceted View of Vicarious Trauma as Applied to the Profession of Sign Language Interpreting." 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:49.000 Besides her involvement in Western's prestigious Honors program, involvement in several academic organizations, 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:52.000 and the recipient of academic honors, 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:56.000 this person is also well known for their co curricular involvement on campus. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:62.000 In fact, Cheyanne has been actively involved from the moment she stepped on campus her first year. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:08.000 She has served as a Hall Host in the residence halls and was a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:13.000 Cheyanne got involved in the area of student engagement through the Discover Leadership program, 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:17.000 became a Plus Team member, and then Plus Team Coordinator. 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:22.000 And served in the role of Peer Advisor with the Designation Western program. 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:28.000 Furthermore, Cheyenne has spent extensive time serving in various student employment positions 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:34.000 in the Office of Admissions, including Campus Ambassador and Campus Visitation Coordinator. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:40.000 I can't even begin to imagine what her calendar looked like as she managed all of these responsibilities. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:44.000 Graduating, with Honors, with a 3.94 GPA 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:51.000 And receiving a Bachelor of Science in American Sign Language and English Interpreting, congratulations Cheyanne. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:60.000 It is my honor to introduce to you the second recipient of the 2022 Delmer Dewey Julia McCulloch Smith Award, Aliyah Favela. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:03.000 Aliyah epitomizes the intent and purpose of this award. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:07.000 She is outstanding in both academics and leadership. 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:11.000 Like the previous award winner, Aliyah will graduate with high academic honors 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:16.000 and somehow found time to be involved in campus leadership and community service. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:20.000 She was nominated not only for her academic excellence, 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:25.000 but also because of the high standards she holds for herself and for her community involvement. 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:30.000 As a first generation student, Aliyah stressed that hard work and resiliency 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:37.000 along with a passion about learning and challenging herself, were all a part of what made her college experience 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:45.000 successful and rewarding. She acknowledges that it was also her family who served as her motivation for excellence. 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:52.000 One faculty member describes her as a strong and engaged leader, highly motivated, and successful in not only her 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:56.000 academic endeavors, but also her service to community. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:62.000 Academically, Aliyah is a Diversity Scholar and is completing her course of study in Social Science 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:07.000 with a concentration in Political Science and a Minor in Psychology. 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:12.000 She will graduate summa cum laude this June. She has made every effort 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:16.000 to take what has learned in the classroom through her Social Science study, 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:20.000 and applied that knowledge to her experiences outside of the classroom. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:23.000 And those experiences are extensive. 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:26.000 With a commitment to engaging in volunteerism 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:30.000 and taking the approach of creative and inclusive action toward a better future, 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:35.000 Aliyah has engaged in activities that are dedicated to advocacy and empowerment. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:42.000 Including MEChA, Inidos Club, Model United Nations, and the Multicultural Student Union. 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:48.000 As a way of speaking out for others, Aliyah served on various advisory boards such as 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:55.000 the University Cultural Competency Advisory Committee, the Ethnic Study Student Voices focus group, 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:61.000 and the Student Advisory Board to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:07.000 But her involvement didn't stop there. She's a member of Kappa Delta Chi and served in leadership positions. 00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:11.000 She was a participant and later a mentor in our Discover Leadership program, 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:16.000 worked as a Food Pantry volunteer, and served as a Campus Ambassador. 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:22.000 I am exhausted just reading the list of involvement Aliyah as participated in. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:28.000 Truly remarkable, wow! Aliyah will graduate with a 3.94 GPA 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:32.000 and receive a Bachelor of Science in Social Science with a concentration 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:34.000 in Political Science this June. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:42.000 Congratulations, again, to both of our Delmer Dewey Julia McCulloch Smith 2022 award winners. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:48.000 music