(Herkimer, NY – April 2011) Herkimer County Community College seniors Mary Katherine Maneen, Frankfort, NY and Gustavo Pereira, West Yarmouth, MA are among 249 students from SUNY campuses throughout the State to receive the 2011 Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence. SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher presented the awards at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center.

Mary Katherine “Katie” Maneen is majoring in Communication Arts: New Media. She is Vice President of the Student Government Association, and was a Student Ambassador for new student orientation. A member of the 2010 NJCAA National Championship Women’s Track & Field Team, she is currently team captain. Maneen is a member of Phi Theta Kappa national honor society, and was a 2010-11 recipient of the SUNY Empire State Diversity Honors Scholarship. She was named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges. Following graduation from HCCC this May, she plans to transfer to SUNY Oswego.

Gustavo Pereira is majoring in International Business. He is president of Phi Beta Lambda, the national organization of business students; a member of Phi Theta Kappa; and an Honors Program and President’s List student. Pereira is a member of the Faculty Student Association. He is captain of the men’s soccer team, leading the team to the NJCAA National finals in 2010. He was named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges.  Pereira plans to attend law school following graduation from HCCC. He has received academic and athletic scholarships to NCAA Division II Assumption College.

The Chancellor also presented 59 students with awards from Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for community college students. The Phi Theta Kappa Award Ceremony recognizes outstanding community college students throughout the state. The ceremony is sponsored annually by NYCCT (New York Community College Trustees) together with the New York Community College Association of Presidents and the Faculty Council of Community Colleges.

Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society that recognizes and encourages scholarship among two-year college students. In addition to academic achievement, recipients of the award are also evaluated on their leadership and community service involvement, and are named members of the All New York Community College Academic Team.

Among those recognized was HCCC senior Alyssa Sanders, Amsterdam, NY, a Liberal Arts & Sciences: Social Science major. A President’s List student, Sanders is a resident assistant at HCCC, Student Ambassador for new student orientation, and Vice President of Leadership for the local Upsilon-Epsilon chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. She was named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges. Sanders plans to transfer to Clark University in Worcester, MA to study International Development and Social Change, following graduation.

“The students we honor today have excelled academically and taken advantage of what SUNY has to offer in and outside the classroom,” said Chancellor Zimpher. “These students are proven leaders, athletes, artists, community servants, and much more. They represent the future of our state and are perfect examples of The Power of SUNY. I congratulate all of the students receiving recognition today and thank them for the positive impact each of them has had on SUNY and the communities we serve.”

The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created 14 years ago to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, or career achievement. The average grade point average (GPA) for all recipients this year is 3.8.

Each year, campus presidents establish a selection committee, which reviews exemplary students. Nominees are forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office and are subject to a second round of review, with finalists recommended to the Chancellor to become recipients of the award. Each recipient receives a framed certificate and medallion, which is traditionally worn at commencement.