James to receive 2005 Threlkeld Prize as top senior at Colorado State University - Pueblo 
             
Pueblo- Colorado State University - Pueblo announced this week that graduating senior Natalie James of Karval is the 2005 recipient of the Threlkeld Prize for Excellence. Named for the late Budge Threlkeld, a former administrator and professor, the award is presented to a graduating senior who demonstrates excellence in academic and co-curricular activities as well as in service to the University and to the community. Eight outstanding students were selected as candidates for the Prize, and the winner will be honored at the Achievement Day luncheon at CSU-Pueblo beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 17 in the Occhiato University Center Ballroom.
 
To be considered for the Threlkeld Prize for Excellence, nominees must be a graduating senior (fall 2004, spring 2005 or summer 2005) who will have completed at least four semesters at CSU-Pueblo; have at least a 3.7 grade point average for the three full-time semesters prior to nomination; and relate, in writing, co-curricular activities as well as service to both the University and the community. A selection committee consisting of representatives from each college, the library, a retiree, and a classified employee review the applications, then select and interview the finalists.
 
The recipient receives a plaque and a substantial cash stipend upon graduation. James’ name also will appear on a permanent plaque located in the Occhiato University Center.
 
James will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in biology and minors in chemistry and leadership studies on Saturday, May 7 and intends to work this summer as a range technician for the U.S. Forest Service before enrolling at CSU in Fort Collins next fall to pursue a master’s degree in either Range Management or Integrated Resource Management. She aspires to become a range conservationist and teach people who work with the land how to accomplish their goals while improving the quality of the ecosystem.
 
James started her involvement early in her University career. As a freshman, she participated in the President’s Leadership Program (PLP), Student Support Services, LEAD 2005 (Leadership, Education and Development), Residence Hall Association, and intramural sports. Her four-year experience with PLP provided ample opportunities for interaction with the Pueblo community, including the Greenway and Nature Center, SRDA, East High School, and this year with the migrant community in Avondale. She has helped hundreds of University students in her CSU-Pueblo career as a biology, chemistry, and math tutor in Student Support Services. In the Belmont Residence Hall, she earned the Eagle Award as best Resident Assistant. She also has been active in Tri Beta biology honor society, Campus Crusade for Christ, Experiential Learning Center activities, and served on a variety of campus screening committees. While involved on campus and in the Pueblo community, she has not forgotten her hometown of Karval, where she has worked with the local Lions Club to raise scholarship dollars, taught Vacation Bible School, and chaperoned the Karval FFA Chapter at the state competition and national convention. A recent internship as a hydrologic research technician with the U.S. Forest Service has opened her eyes to new careers, but also resulted in a publication and several job offers.

Seven other students were nominated for the award.

Loretta Cruz, Pueblo West, will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer information systems and a minor in Spanish. Her educational journey began 11 years ago when she returned to school to obtain the skills necessary for a job as Computer Systems Specialist. She now has set her sights on becoming a network systems administrator or system security specialist and pursuing a master’s degree in business management with an IT strategies emphasis. Her independent study project found her planning, preparing, and teaching computer classes to the community at Hyde Park Community Center. Much of her volunteer time is spent on projects with her two daughters, either at their schools or at the University Child Care Center, where she is now employed on a part-time basis. In 2000, she earned an associate’s degree in computer information systems from Pueblo Community College. From 1999-2003, she served as a customer support specialist with Information Technology Services on campus. Prior to that, she was employed by QualMed and Decibel Credit Union.

Tammy Giltner, Pueblo, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and a minor in sociology. She aims to obtain master’s and doctoral degrees in nursing with an emphasis in education, where she can teach both nursing students and patients about health issues and maintenance. She has served as a tutor in the Office of Student Support Services and participated in numerous community activities as a member of the Southern Colorado Association of Nursing Students. She also conducted two community research projects, one at East High School and the other at the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind in Colorado Springs. She also has been active in various fundraisers as a member of St. Joseph’s Council of Catholic Women.

Susan Henry, Canon City, will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting on May 7. A non-traditional student, Henry stayed at home with her children before returning to pursue a bachelor’s degree. She hopes to open her own tax preparation business over the next five years and will gain experience toward that end by volunteering in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program in Canon City and taking additional income tax classes. She also hopes to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree and eventually teach at a community college. A member of the CSU-Pueblo Accounting Club, Henry was employed as she attended classes as a Deputy Court Clerk in Canon City from 1991-2003.
Lydia Hunter, Colorado Springs, will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications with minors in leadership studies and creative writing. She eventually hopes to teach English as a Second Language in Japan and pursue a graduate degree in ESL or a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry. Hunter has served the campus and community through her involvement with the President’s Leadership Program, as a tutor in the CSU-Pueblo Writing Room, and as a member and editor-in-chief of the Hungry Eye Literary Magazine club. She has helped to facilitate food and clothing drives, implemented an annual High School Leadership Conference, and mentored at the Young Women’s “Real World” conference.

Audree Krupka, Pueblo, will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in communication disorders and a double minor in psychology and leadership studies. In the fall, she will pursue a master’s degree in the Special Education field at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs with the hope of helping society through a career that helps people with disabilities. She worked on campus in the Disability Resource Office, which ultimately influenced her career path. She has served as a sign language interpreter and sign language teacher for second grade students at Parkview Elementary School as a member of the Sign Language Club. As a member of the President’s Leadership Program, she helped to established a tutoring center at Avondale Elementary School

Amanda Richter, Pueblo, will graduate a year early this May with a bachelor’s degree in English and will begin a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. She has served on the staff of the Hungry Eye literary magazine and also is a member of Sigma Tau Delta and the Thunderwolf dance team. As a Resident Assistant in the Belmont Residence Hall, she served as mentor, community builder, and resource for students and planned programs that promoted education, health and wellness, and diversity. In the future, she hopes to work in the publishing industry, perhaps as a fiction reader for a literary journal.

Captain of the Thunderwolf women’s tennis team, Kindi Vaughan, Pueblo will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology and a minor in psychology and has earned only one B in her college career. She has been named Most Dedicated Player, Most Outstanding Player, and Most Valuable Player by the tennis team and earned the International Tennis Association North Central Region Arthur Ashe Leadership Award. She indicates that her four years at CSU-Pueblo has been focused on academics, tennis, community involvement, and her three-year marriage. She has volunteered more than 150 hours at Pueblo First Church of the Nazarene, providing child care and nursery help, teaching a preschool class, and planning church services and also has served the homeless at the Pueblo Rescue Mission and Bend Soup Kitchen. She and her husband plan to move back to their home state of Oregon and start a family.
 
Previous Threlkeld Recipients include:
1990 – Tina M. Granato
1991 – Denise A. Berens
1992 – Mario X. Trujillo
1993 – Patricia L. Clark
1994 – Lisa Huerta
1995 – Anna Cosyleon
1996 – John D. Lopez
1997 – Christopher Spahr
1998 – Carlos S. Salguero
1999 – Zane Reif
2000 – Haley Rich
2001 – Shane Hale
2002 – Stephen L. Tompkins II
2003 – Crystal Mize
2004 – Diane Reno
   
 
Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.