University of Arkansas Students Recognized During the Student Involvement and Leadership Awards

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Student Involvement and Leadership Awards ceremony was held last week in the Arkansas Union Alltel Ballroom. The awards acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of university students and organizations in the areas of academic and co-curricular activities.

The Non-Traditional and Commuter Student Leadership Award was created to recognize a non-traditional undergraduate student who has demonstrated excellence in achievements as a student while successfully engaged in life issues. The winner is Khosbayar (Hosa) Rentsendorj, a full-time student in the Walton College of Business pursuing a degree in finance. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2002 as a direct result of the September 11 attacks. A 29-year-old combat veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, he is also one of 20 students who created Military Past and Present on Campus for other University of Arkansas veteran students. Place Properties sponsored the award this year with a donation of $500.

The Doyle Z. Williams Student Leadership Award was created in honor of the former dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business to be given to an undergraduate business student who embodies the dedication and support Dean Williams has given to both the Walton College and the Division of Student Affairs. The recipient exemplifies leadership in both the college and student involvement campuswide. This year’s winner is Whitnee Boyd, a senior from Pine Bluff, , majoring in marketing.

The Volunteer Spirit Award honors a university student who truly represents the spirit of volunteerism. Recipients display a strong ideal of servant leadership and a consistent commitment of service to others through dedication, positive change, initiative, and sincere interest and spirit for volunteering. This year’s winner is Katie Sellers, a junior from Hutchinson, Kan., majoring in biology. She is a member of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Mentor Program, Lifesource International, Read Across America, Pi Beta Phi, Associated Student Government, and GAMMA, just to name a few organizations.

The Love and Diversity award, named in memory of April R. Love, honors a University of Arkansas student who embodies the spirit of diversity and of fostering change. April Love, a junior political science major at the University of Arkansas, exemplified this spirit in all activities in which she was involved. This year’s winner is Ana Cecilia Aguayo, a junior majoring in international relations and journalism with a minor in economics.

The Jenny Runkles Watercarrier Award is the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement’s highest award for leadership. The award honors a student who embodies the spirit of leadership. The award has been presented for 12 years; however, in 2002, the award was renamed after former student leader Jenny Runkles as a memorial for her impact in the lives of fellow students. This year’s winner is Rebecca Williamson, a senior from Omaha, Neb., majoring in English.