Above photo: Theodore Olenick received the Michael Murphy Award for Outstanding Collegiate Citizenship.
HELENA, MONT. - On Saturday, May 13, 2017, Carroll College (Helena, Montana) conferred degrees on 268 graduates during its 107th commencement ceremony held in the Carroll College PE Center. The ceremony included a number of awards and honors for students, alumni, and faculty.
Associate Professor of Engineering Mr. Gary Fischer provided remarks during the ceremony. Mr. Fischer was the recipient of the 2015 Outstanding Teaching Award.
The class of 2017 senior speaker was Chase Farrell from Spokane, Washington. He graduated with a degree in business administration with concentrations in management and marketing. During his time at Carroll, Chase participated in the entrepreneurship program, played on the Carroll golf team, and was involved in student government for four years – two of those years serving as student body president for the college. Chase recently earned his private pilot’s license and is awaiting the results from his application for a flight contract with the U.S. Navy.
The Michael Murphy Award for Outstanding Collegiate Citizenship was presented to Theodore Olenick. Olenick majored in biology with a minor in history, and served as an ASCC officer, Gold Team member, St. Jude's "Up ‘til Dawn" volunteer, and actively participated in a variety of Campus Ministry events, including the recent Headlights service trip to Chicago. He was recognized for showing compassion, understanding, and encouragement in all his encounters and has a special place in his heart for children, serving as a childcare provider in his hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, and a mental health technician at Shodair Children’s Hospital in Helena.
The college’s Bishop Gilmore Memorial Award for Outstanding Scholarship, awarded to seniors who have attained the highest grade-point average after four years at Carroll, was awarded to two graduates: Celena Alduenda from Helena, Montana, and Alexa Daskalos from Albany, Oregon.
Two annual faculty awards were also conferred. The Outstanding Teaching Award recipient was Dr. Leslie Angel, associate professor and chair of the Psychology Department, whose encouraging nature, collaborative teaching style and steadfast commitment to the success of her students merited the award. The Distinguished Scholar Award was awarded to Dr. Lauri Travis, associate professor of anthropology and environmental science, for her rigorous scholarship in the field of archeology and commitment to undergraduate research at the college.