More than 3,200
Salt Lake Community College students will be awarded degrees and certificates
at the school’s upcoming Commencement event, scheduled for Friday, May 3, at
9:30 a.m. at the Maverik Center in West Valley City.
During the
event, the college will also honor several community leaders, faculty members
and students who have been selected as SLCC Graduates of Excellence. Honorees
are as follows:
Distinguished
Alumni Awards – The
Distinguished Alumni Award honors SLCC graduates and former students for
contributions to their communities and in their chosen professional fields.
Natalie Kaddas – Kaddas is the CEO of Kaddas
Enterprises, a Utah-based plastics manufacturing company. Since 1992, she has
taken many classes at SLCC to develop skills to grow her business. Kaddas is also
a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, which is
offered at the college’s Miller Campus.
Mark Ellis – Ellis is a senior construction
manager with Kroger Company and a lieutenant colonel for the U.S. Air Force
Reserves. He received an associate’s degree from SLCC before earning a
bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, an MBA and a master’s degree in
Military Operational Art and Science.
Officer David Romrell -- South Salt Lake Police Officer
David Romrell, who died last year in the line of duty, will be honored
posthumously. He was a criminal justice student at SLCC and served several
tours of duty with the United States Marine Corps.
Legislative
Champion – The SLCC
Legislative Champion Award honors Utah legislators who demonstrate a commitment
to advance and improve higher education in the state.
Utah House Rep. Derrin R. Owens – During the most recent
Utah legislative session, Rep. Owens successfully sponsored a bill establishing
the Access Utah Promise Scholarship program, which will provide millions in
need-based aid to students attending any public higher education institution or
technical college in the state.
Teaching Excellence Awards and
Distinguished Faculty Lecturer -- The Teaching Excellence Award is given by
the SLCC Foundation Board to recognize excellence in professional education.
The Distinguished Faculty Lecturer recognizes quality work by one of SLCC’s
full-time faculty and the charge to develop that work into a public
presentation.
Pook Carson – Carson is a business professor who
has worked to improve her classes using student feedback and free online
educational resources. She has taught at New York University, the University of
Utah, Westminster College and Brigham Young University.
J. Chad Erekson – Erekson teaches animation at SLCC and
encourages his students to work as a group to develop solutions for complex
issues. He is an alumnus of SLCC and holds a bachelor’s of fine arts from
Brigham Young University.
Linda Jemmett – Jemmett is an adjunct biology professor.
She has taught at the college for 20 years and worked as a medical technologist
before coming to SLCC.
Jane Drexler – Drexler has been named as the
school’s Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. She is a philosophy professor and won
SLCC’s Teaching Excellence Award in 2016.
Graduates of Excellence
Seven students will be recognized as
SLCC Graduates of Excellence. The award is given to one student from each
school at the college and general studies. This is a prestigious distinction
that recognizes hard work, commitment and selflessness.
Darrell Godfrey – Diesel Systems Technologies Major,
School of Applied Technologies and Technical Specialties
Sheresa Jensen – Mortuary Science Major, School of Health
Sciences
Lisa Nord – Graphic Design Major, School of Arts,
Communication and Media
Phuc To – Pre-pharmacy Major, School of
Science, Mathematics & Engineering
Whitney Van Alfen – Psychology Major, School of
Humanities and Social Sciences
Matthew Watts – General Studies
Cody Wilkerson – Business Major, School of Business
SLCC’s Commencement ceremony will
also include presenting honorary doctorate degrees to Jay K. Francis from the
Larry H. Miller Group of Companies and Patricia R. Richards from SelectHealth.
Luke Williams, an innovation expert and New York University professor, will be
the event’s keynote speaker.
