Every school year since 2001, Student Life recognized advisers, faculty, staff members and community leaders.

Student Life presents an award every month outside of summer vacation to someone who positively impacted students’ lives. This is called the achieving excellence award.

“It is a nice feeling to be honored for something I do for a living for the people that I do it for. It’s not the same as being honored by friends or family,” said Sean Bird, associate dean of libraries and September 2011 award winner.

Recently, Student Life has made it easier to nominate someone for the achieving excellence award. Visit tinyurl.com/achieve-excellence to nominate someone via an online form. Student life also provides physical forms at their office in Morgan Hall 240. Physical forms must be turned in to Jackie Askren, executive assistant of Student Life.

“We would love to have more applicants, because we know there are people out there who go and above and beyond to help students,” Askren said.

Student Life does not present awards during the summer months, because there are less students on campus, but they are always accepting nominations. Nominations received in summer are applied to the selection pool for September’s recipient.

Georgina Tenny, lecturer of modern languages, is the first recipient of this school year.

In addition, the recipients of the achieving excellence award are automatically entered into the selection pool for the annual Muriel D. Clarke award, which is given to the person that the Student Life committee believes had the most powerful impact.

“We like to interrupt class to present the award,” Askren said. “That way we can surprise the recipient.”

Student Life entered Tenny’s class after they had a quiz and presented the award to her in front of the class.

“We told them they had a great professor and they all said they knew,” Askren said.