On Thursday, Feb. 16, Washburn held its annual Who’s Who Among Students award ceremony. The awards help recognize students who have not only kept a respectible GPA, but also students who have been active around campus and throughout the community.

Over time, the award has become one of the most highly regarded and long-standing honors program in the nation.

The Who’s Who Among Students award was created in 1934 by a student at the University of Alabama. The student was so involved with campus organizations and academically successful that they were nominated for many different honors awards.

Due to their financial situation, they couldn’t pay entry fees for all of their nominations, so they decided to create a program that would recognize students for their success, and that wouldn’t require an entry fee.

Each year, nominations for the award are made by a Washburn University faculty or staff member. A student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and have completed 88 credit hours to be nominated for the award. The nominated student must then fill out an application and resume.

“I think the most important part about being academically successful is just making time to get your work done,” said Raul Guevara, a senior graduate and a Who‘s Who recipient. “If you don’t find time to do your own work, you’ll never get it done because no one’s going to find it for you.”

This year, there were more than 70 nominations that were submitted and reviewed by the Who’s Who selection committee. Only 44 of those student nominations were selected to receive the award this year.

“We’re not just looking for students who have excelled academically, but also students who truly have given back to the community,” said Jessica Neumann, the director for student activities and greek life and a member of the Who’s Who selection committee. “Students who not only participate on campus, but throughout the community as well, are most likely going to be chosen.”

The committee looks for students who they believe will apply what they have learned in their experiences at Washburn toward their everyday life. Getting involved in some of the many activities and student organizations here at Washburn helps in building those connections and life skills for the future.

“Learning is for a lifetime,” said Billie Jean Graham, the speaker at the Who’s Who ceremony and a former Washburn graduate. “What a person chooses to learn from their mistakes and how they let a failure affect them depends on whether or not they will be successful.”