Women student leaders inspire at awards ceremony

The annual Women Student Leader Awards ceremony, held in recognition of Women’s History Month each March, featured 10 students who have inspired their nominators and others by over-coming obstacles, taking leadership roles at the college, maintaining excellent grades and serving their communities. Yvette McGee Brown gives the keynote address at the Women Student Leaders Award ceremony. The awards ceremony was held March 5 in the WD ballroom, with a keynote address presented by Yvette McGee-Brown, president of the Child and Family Advocacy Center at Children’s Hospital and former Judge of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. McGee-Brown told the audience, “Leadership is believing that you have something to contribute and possessing the drive to make it happen. It’s not letting others define you, because you are not the perfect person, daughter, wife, mother, or employee. No one is.” “Don’t mistake success for significance,” she continued. “Any life of significance involves struggle, confronting obstacles, and overcoming them. We all have to be willing to participate fully in life by maximizing our strengths and keeping our weaknesses from getting in the way.”

Ten students were recognized at the awards ceremony:

Stacey Christensen was a teen mother who took the GED and enrolled in Columbus State’s MH/CD/MR program to become a chemical dependency counselor.

Wendy Clardy lost her home to foreclosure but vowed to fight against predatory lending by researching and writing about the subject for the Homeowners Resource Center Web site.

Sarah Garno is the chapter president of Phi Theta Kappa and works on numerous volunteer projects while also juggling motherhood and family.

Jeannetta Hathorn is the mother of four children who also volunteers with her church’s choir, children’s ministry, and Bible school.

Kerri Imwalle is studying Veterinary Technology while volunteering at the Ohio State large animal veterinary clinic, playing on the Cougar basketball team, tutoring teammates, and maintaining a 3.7 GPA.

Lesli Lehar has maintained a 4.0 GPA in her pre-radiology technology classes while fighting cancer and raising her blended family, which includes four teenagers.

Hadassah Loretz is a Student Ambassador who completed her senior year of high school and first year of college simultaneously with a 4.0 GPA.

Tijana Lucic, a native of Bosnia Herzagovina, started attending Columbus State at age 16. She is now a senior in high school with a 3.93 GPA and is vice-president of the International Student Association.

Jennifer Morrow completed her degree in Veterinary Technology, and continues to take classes in preparation for vet school at Ohio State. She served as VP of the Student Association of Veterinary Technicians and is a 4-H Advisor in Fairfield County.

Connie Myers, VP of Phi Theta Kappa, inspires others by having overcome many obstacles, including hearing impairment, back injury, depression and spousal abuse.