Engineering students in Jane Fraser’s industrial and systems engineering class took an assignment to build a piece of furniture out of cardboard to another level when they instead created disaster-relief structures — a that could be used to help refugees or people who have been in a disaster.
Troy Ard
Troy Ard, a Pueblo native and junior majoring in sociology, is president of the Colorado Federation of College Republicans. Ard invited former Colorado Republican Party chairman and 1982 alum Dick Wadhams to serve on the federation’s advisory board.
Berg - Mertens
2011 graduates Karl Mertens of Colorado Springs, Colo., and David Berg of Pueblo West, Colo., won the American Society of Civil Engineers of Colorado Outstanding Senior ASCE Students Award, which are presented to graduating civil engineering seniors who have made a positive impact on the student chapter of ASCE.
Victoria Bonetto
Victoria Bonetto, a senior biology major and leadership studies minor from Pueblo, was named the Colorado Leadership Alliance (CLA) Student Leaders of the Year by the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation in partnership with the Boettcher Foundation. Bonetto will graduate in May and begin working with immigration law through internships that will allow her to learn more about the immigration process. In the future, she hopes to complete a master’s degree in health administration and to assist the immigrant community with medical services. She will continue to volunteer in English as a Second Language and Citizenship courses.
Candace Crain
Candace Crain, award-winning Nashville musician and 2004 alumnus, is paving the way for the Latino experience in country music. Winner of numerous North American Country Music awards, including the Horizon Award as the most promising female entertainer, Crain also was honored by the CSU-Pueblo Alumni Association as one of the top alums from the past 10 years.
Jaclyn Gazette
2011 nursing graduate Jaclyn Gazette is the recipient of the 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award by Spanish Peaks Mental Health Center. The Pueblo native has been involved with the Pueblo Medical Reserve Corps, and wants to gain hospital experience to help develop her understanding of patient needs.
George Hammersmith
Senior George Hammersmith, a music education major from Westcliffe, founded the Pueblo West Community Band and currently serves as its president and director. He hopes to establish a Middle School Community Band before graduating in May of 2012. He received the John Philip Sousa Award from Custer County High School and the Directors Award twice before entering college and is a member of the Music Department’s Student Advisory Board. He contributes more than 250 hours of volunteer work annually to school music programs, community events, and his church.
Josh Luna
CSU-Pueblo junior Josh Luna (Pueblo political science major) spent the summer in El Paso, Texas researching at the National Center for Border Security and Immigration (NCBSI) with faculty from the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) and returned to classes this fall as the winner of both a national poster competition and a trip to Washington, D.C. next spring. Under the tutelage of UTEP Professor Dr. Ashley Bangert, Luna researched optimal schedules of practice to help older adults better prepare for the naturalization exam for citizenship. (Josh Luna, second row, middle)
Martin-Proctor receives MVT award
Seattle, Wash., native Garrett Martin-Proctor, a senior business management major, was named the 2011 Most Valuable ThunderWolf for serving in leadership roles around campus and creating a better environment for students. Martin-Proctor is scheduled to graduate in Fall 2011.
Bonita Nuanez
Biology graduate Bonita Nuanez received the first diploma at the May 7 commencement ceremony as the 2011 recipient of the Budge Threlkeld award for excellence in academics and co-curricular activities, and campus and community service. The Lafayette, Colo. native, and all-conference softball player, is the second CSU-Pueblo student-athlete in three years to win the award and the first in her family to graduate college.
Tony Pechek
Pueblo native Tony Pechek is both a full-time student seeking an education degree and professional baseball player. A catcher for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, Pechek will return to Pueblo at season’s end to student teach and graduate in May, 2012.
Certificate helps Romano land job
A certificate in Homeland Security helped 2011 CSU-Pueblo graduate Amanda Romano secure employment as a community chapter manager and disaster specialist with Northwestern New Mexico’s San Juan Chapter of the American Red Cross. Romano, a Canon City native who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in political science, completed the program through CSU-Pueblo’s Center for Study of Homeland Security, which teaches students basic security concepts and how to react during disaster situations.
Katie Sell
Senior exercise science major Katie Sell is the nation’s top female judo athlete at the 70kg weight class, having won the 2009 National Collegiate Judo Championship and the 2009 USA Judo Senior National Championship.
Sam Sumeraki
Sam Sumeraki, a senior mass communications major from Pueblo, was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year by the Latino Chamber of Commerce. He also is an intern with the CSU-Pueblo Foundation.
Michael Willard
Senior art major Michael Willard is a finalist in the 31st annual Nikon and Photographer’s Forum magazine-sponsored Best of College Photography Contest. As a finalist, the Pueblo, Colo., native will have his work featured in the award-winning quarterly publication which publishes only the best quality photographs.