Shoreline Community College student leaders are among the best in the state and they have the awards to prove it.
Walter Davis won the programs innovation award and Keira Smith received an honorable mention for outstanding second year student leader at the Council of Unions and Student Programs (CUSP) 2013 Leadership and Activities Institute. The CUSP awards four nominated students each year from the 34 community colleges in Washington at the conference.
The idea behind the council is to create a place for student leaders from across the state to develop an understanding of the role as a student leader both on campus and at a state level.
Davis won the award for his instrumental work in creating the student survival guide and other projects.
“He comes in before I do and is always looking for ways to be more creative and include everyone,” Rezina Habtemariam, program support supervisor said. “He always has great ideas and is looking at how to enhance our program and get ourselves out there.”
Habtemariam said Davis has also been a part in reviving ECHO, a site dedicated to clubs and organizations on campus, and understanding how to use it better. He was also involved in creating promotional materials to get the word out about what ECHO is and why students should use it.
Davis has also served as the managing editor of Spindrift, a yearly award-winning student publication that includes photography, poetry and articles, and he has won awards for his photography.
Smith received an honorable mention and is more than deserving, according to Habtemariam. She was a lead mentor in the HEROES program, a peer mentoring program for Shoreline students in the ESL, GED, ABE and CEO programs, and helped coordinate and support campus events. She was heavily involved the previous year and wanted to continue her role but in a different capacity.
Smith has been involved in planning events for the school year on the Arts & Entertainment board. Habtemariam said she came in to the office one day to find that Smith had covered an entire white board with event ideas and is helping to plan new events.
“She is constantly in the office and coming up with ideas for events,” Habtemariam said. “She is always a team player and wants to include the entire group in whatever she is doing. You can tell she really wants to be here and create meaningful experiences for the students on campus.”