Members of the 2024-25 Lion Leaders pose with gift bags at the campus' annual Award Ceremony and Honors Convocation, held Thursday, May 8, at the Avalon Country Club at Buhl Park.
SHARON, Pa. — Penn State Shenango students and employees were recognized at the 2025 Award Ceremony and Honors Convocation, held at the Avalon Country Club at Buhl Park on Thursday, May 8. The annual Honors Convocation celebrates the outstanding academic and student life achievements of our students, faculty, and staff.
Photos from the evening can be downloaded from Penn State Shenango's Flickr photo gallery.
Academic recognition
The President Walker Award
The President Walker Freshman Award is presented annually to undergraduate candidates who have earned a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) based on at least 12 graded Penn State credits completed during their first semester of admission.
- Sarah Christy
- Jessica Engle
- Alex Kavanagh
- Emmy Riddle
The President Sparks Award
The President Sparks Award is presented annually to undergraduate students who have earned a 4.0 cumulative GPA based on at least 36 graded Penn State credits completed by the end of the fall semester of the academic year in which the award is given.
- Josiah McCoy
The Evan Pugh Scholar Award
The Evan Pugh Scholar Award began in 1933 and was given to the top five persons in both the junior and senior classes. The award is named for Evan Pugh, Penn State’s first president (1859-1864). Today, the Evan Pugh scholars are those juniors and seniors who are in the upper 0.5 percent of their respective classes and have completed at least 48 graded Penn State credits at the end of the fall semester of the academic year in which the award is given.
- Junior – Andrew Craig
- Senior – Mackenzie Lambert
- Senior – Jenna Piccirilli
The Robert Weber Mathematics Award
The Robert Weber Mathematics Award is presented annually to the most promising Shenango math student and honors the late Robert Weber who taught math at the Shenango campus.
- Boyd Kurutz
The Margaret Cunningham Foley Memorial Teaching Award
- Robin Zambrini
Teaching Excellence Award
- Roxanne Atterholt
Honors Program
The honors certificate is awarded to several of the students in the Honors Program who have fulfilled the program requirements and have maintained an excellent GPA.
- Mackenzie Lambert
Academic Achievement Awards
Recognized for outstanding academic achievement, this award is presented to students with cumulative GPAs of 3.5 and above.
- Ashley Armstrong
- Malia Baney
- Josh Cidila
- Melissa DeMattio
- Alyssa Donley
- Jillian Dunleavy
- Emily Gordon
- Emily Filicky
- Johanna Fiorenza
- Jacob Haun
- Delaney Hempseed
- Kalsi Kolding
- Alli Lewis
- Cole Micsky
- Erika Ortiz Rangel
- John Perry
- Ashley Poghen
- Sheridan Rotunno
- Garrett Thumm
- Shar’Da Williamson
- Michaela Bayuk
- Colette Brown
- Melissa Caldwell
- LuAnne Jurczenko
High Academic Achievement Awards
The Shenango campus High Academic Achievement Awards are presented to those students in each college or degree program who have achieved the best cumulative GPA during the academic year.
- Business: Jenna Piccirilli
- Criminal Justice: Mackenzie Lambert
- Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations: Cameron Williams
- Digital Arts: Tara McGee
- Human Development and Family Studies: Abigail Hodge
- Health Policy and Administration: Riley Payne
- Multidisciplinary Studies: Ella Paknis
- Nursing: Juliea Cain, Kristin Koper, Ashley Parish
- Occupational Therapy Assistant: Allison Davis, Elizabeth Engelhardt
- Physical Therapist Assistant: Patrick Connacher
Student Leadership Recognition
Allied Health Club
- President Kristin Koper
- Vice President Brittany Morrison
- Treasurer (fall) Breanna Stanley
- Treasurer (spring) Catherine Howard
- Secretary (fall) Sarah Schleich
- Secretary (spring) Cierra Barron
Black Student Union
- President Daniel Hughley III
- Vice President Aneziah Fryer
- Treasurer Devin Alston
- Secretary Garrett Hamrick
Cybersecurity Club
- President Josh Marshall
- Vice President Erika Ortiz Rangel
- Treasurer Gabriel Lewis
- Secretary Cameron Williams
Faith & Fellowship Club
- President Devin Alston
- Vice President Daniel Highley III
- Treasurer Oyindamola Adio
- Secretary Tyler Evans
Fitness Club
- President Mohamed Kanan
- Vice President Devin Alston
- Treasurer Bri Krenzer
- Secretary Kylie Krupp
Human Development and Family Studies Club
- President Ashley Poghen
- Vice President Abigail Hodge
- Treasurer Matthew Patrick
- Secretary Kalsi Kolding
International Cultures Club
- President (fall) Shae Kanan
- President (spring) Ella Paknis
- Vice President (fall) Daniel Hughley III
- Vice President (spring) Christine Wheaton
- Treasurer (fall) Grace Haggard
- Treasurer (spring) Alex Kavanagh
- Secretary (fall) Garrett Hamrick
- Secretary (spring) Emmy Riddle
Occupational Therapy Assistant Club
- President Alyssa Donley
- Vice President Rosie Willoughby
- Treasurer Ella Stewart
- Secretary Kylee Loreno
Physical Therapy Assistant Club
- President Melissa DeMattio
- Vice President Morgan Orr
- Treasurer Morgan McNamara
- Secretary Garrett Thumm
STEM Club
- President Grace Haggard
- Vice President Alex Kavanagh
- Treasurer Mason Caszatt
- Secretary (fall) Aubrey Trask
- Secretary (spring) Catherine Howard
Student Government Association
- President Cole Micsky
- Vice President Ella Paknis
- Treasurer Tyler Evans
- Secretary Abigail Hodge
- Chief of Staff Josh Marshall
- Senator-at-Large Luke Atterholt
- Senator-at-Large Mason Bevan
- Senator-at-Large Johanna Fiorenza
- Senator-at-Large Taylor Geiwitz
- Senator-at-Large Mohamed Kanan
- Senator-at-Large Muath Maani
- Senator-at-Large John Perry
- Senator-at-Large Mia Rogers
- Senator-at-Large Ozzie Shaffer
- Senator-at-Large Madi Votino
- Athlete Representative Oyindamola Adio
Leadership Awards
Lion Leaders
- Luke Atterholt
- Malia Baney
- Alyssa Donley
- Tyler Evans
- Emily Filicky
- Aneziah Fryer
- Abby Hodge
- Josh Marshall
- Mya McNevin
- Cole Micsky
- Matthew Nunez
- Nick Rodocoy
The Ann Wansack Award
This award was made in memory of Penn State Shenango employee, Ann “Mom” Wansack, and her devotion to the students of the Shenango campus. The purpose of this award shall be to honor and recognize full-time students enrolled at Penn State Shenango who are actively involved, through leadership or participation, in the betterment of Penn State Shenango.
- Devin Alston
- Josh Day
- Johanna Fiorenza
The Eric and Josephine Walker Award
The Eric and Josephine Walker Award recognizes Commonwealth Campus students whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship have been directed into programs and services that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of their campus and, hence, to the reputation of the University as a whole.
- Devin Alston
Club Advisor of the Year
- Kathy Shaffer
Spirit of Shenango Award
This award is given to an individual that genuinely cares about other students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community of Penn State Shenango. This person embodies the motto, “small campus with a big heart.”
- Hailee Aguinaga
Staff Member of the Year
This award recognizes Penn State Shenango staff members who demonstrate outstanding service to the University, our students and the broader community.
- Bruce Rayner
Programming Excellence Award
This award recognizes innovative and outstanding achievement in the planning and presentation of a program by a student organization, group/class project, committee or an individual.
- Cuts for Cancer (Tyler and Nate Evans)
Unsung Hero Award
The Unsung Hero Award recognizes a student who works behind- the-scenes of a successful recognized student organization, athletic team, group/class project or committee. This award is given to a student who consistently gives their all, going above and beyond the call of duty on a regular basis without expectation of recognition.
- Mason Bevan
Emerging Leader of the Year
This award is presented to a student with less than 45 credits who has contributed significantly to the Penn State Shenango community through their involvement in a campus organization, athletic team or a community service program. They must also show significant potential for continued leadership and civic engagement.
- Mia Rodgers
Student Leader of the Year
The Student Leader of the Year award recognizes a student who has demonstrated excellence in academic growth and achievement, as well as excellence in campus and community engagement and has made a contribution to the Penn State Shenango community through their leadership and participation in campus programs, organizations and activities.
- Tyler Evans
