校友 award winners continue to make marks as Lakers

The 校友 Association will honor four Lakers for their significant contributions to their communities or professions during 回家一周.

收件人详情如下. 著名的 校友, Young 校友, Outstanding Staff and Outstanding Educator 该奖项将于10月27日颁发. 

香农·科恩 & 2011年，杰出校友奖

杰出校友奖颁发给 individual who excels in their chosen profession, whose accomplishments positively impact society and reflect favorably upon 他们自己，他们的社区和大峡谷.

第一代大学生香农·科恩， graduated in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in international relations, and in 2011 with a master's degree in public 政府. 作为香农·科恩公司的创始人和首席执行官.,她 develops customized emotional intelligence, equity and wellness 为宝洁等公司提供培训 & 甘布尔和斯蒂尔凯斯. 

Her inspirational product line, Tough Skin, Soft Heart, features greeting cards that are available at retailers nationwide, 包括塔吉特和梅杰. 今年，她与GVSU合作 校友 Supplier Diversity Program to bring her Hope-on-the-go 产品到GVSU湖人商店. 科恩也是the global Rockstar Woman Brunch Experience, serving thousands of women annually.

2023年，科恩获得了“美国女性成就奖” 密歇根妇女前进组织颁发的勇气奖. 2022年，她是 named "Brilliant Woman of the Year" by West Michigan Woman 杂志. Cohen serves on the board of directors for the Corewell Health Foundation, Grand Rapids Economic Club, GVSU Center for 创业创新，促成长.

Nicki Bonczyk '14，青年校友奖

The Young 校友 Award is presented to a recent graduate who is making outstanding contributions to society, and whose accomplishments and career reflect favorably upon themselves, their 社区和大峡谷.

Nicki Bonczyk是一个 engineering onboarding lead at JR Automation, where she oversees the onboarding and training JR在北美11个地点的经验. 

她于2014年毕业，获得学士学位 product design and manufacturing and began working at JR through the GVSU合作教育项目. Bonczyk在JR的角色是连接的 with current GVSU students and alumni and supports them on their 工程之旅.

Since 2019,她 has served as the event and volunteer coordinator for FIRST Robotics events at GVSU, where she recruits dozens of fellow graduates to volunteer for the program. In 2017, she was a STEP Ahead Award National Honoree for Outstanding Female 在制造业领域. Bonczyk也是该组织的志愿者 Grand Haven Musical Fountain and the American Cancer Society by organizing Relay For Life and the West Michigan Farm to Table events.

Chris Barbee '88，杰出员工奖

The Outstanding Staff Award is presented to a Grand Valley State University staff member who has had a significant 对校友生活和事业的影响. 

克里斯·巴比毕业于 1988年的广播. 他的职业生涯始于西密歇根公立大学 Broadcasting as a news and sports reporter for WGVU-AM/FM and as a producer/host of Grand Valley Sports for WGVU-WGVK-TV. 1994年，他 担任美国国务院新闻秘书.S. 代表. 弗恩·埃勒斯 华盛顿特区.C. 2002年，Barbee回到Grand Valley继续服务 担任GVSU校友关系主任. 

During two decades as director, Barbee oversaw the development of innovative alumni events and programs including, "Paving the Way for Future Generations: Stories of African Americans Who Were Firsts at Grand Valley," which won an award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Barbee是 director of development at the Levine Museum of the New South in Charlotte, North Carolina.

尼尔·巴克沃尔特，杰出教育家奖

The Outstanding Educator Award is presented to a faculty member who has had a significant impact on the lives and careers of alumni.

尼尔·巴克沃尔特，公共学系副教授 政府, has a passion for connecting students with learning experiences and opportunities to create brighter futures for 他们自己，他们的家庭和他们的社区. Buckwalter graduated from Brigham Young University in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in sociology and in 2004 with a master of public 管理硕士学位. 在当地政府工作之后 政府, he earned a doctoral degree in public affairs from 印第安纳大学.

巴克沃尔特于2012年加入格兰德谷大学. He serves as the director of the Master of Public Administration program and the faculty advisor for the GVSU International City/County Management Association student chapter, an award-winning student-run organization that connects participants to professional 地方政府的机会. 

巴克沃尔特是大急流城的主席 Michigan Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He volunteered for five years as a scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts 美国.