Two CMD Seniors Capture Coveted Campus Life Award
Amanda Butts and Joshua Keniston are two of only ten Ithaca College seniors recognized in 2008 for their outstanding contributions to the IC community with the Campus Life Award, an award that is "a coveted goal and valued honor" according to Brian McAree, vice president for student affairs and campus life.
In order to be nominated for this prestigious award, students must have been extensively involved in a number of areas of campus life and have demonstrated significant leadership abilities and accomplishments.
Amanda’s activities, leadership, and achievements are diverse and occur at all levels of campus life. She has been instrumentally of service to the CMD program and strategic communication department by participating in the production of a promotional video. A 4-year member of the program’s student organization, CMDSA, she is the outgoing president, having overseen successful special programming for members, the Gentlemen of CMD Calendar project, and the annual Showcase and Awards event. In 2007, she received CMD’s Contribution to Program Award, and in 2008, the CMD Faculty Award, the program's highest accolade.
At the school level, Amanda is an active member of Lambda Pi Eta and Oracle honor societies, as well as Sigma Iota Epsilon management honorary in the business school. She performs in many community service projects as a Park Scholar, including teaching computer skills at the Ithaca Elks Lodge; volunteering at the Longview office of development and community relations and the Longview Literary Circle; mentoring at The History Center; and, constructing houses with Habitat for Humanity.
Amanda also has been highly involved for the benefit of the college. She is a 4-year member of IC After Dark, serving in many capacities, from event planner to executive chair this past year. She is co-chair of Senior Week, and has worked as an orientation leader, and as an overnight host for the Office of Admissions. In 2007 Amanda was awarded the Peggy R. Williams Award for Academic and Community Leadership.
According to her academic advisor, Tammy Shapiro, "Amanda also brings a cross-cultural and international perspective to her various undertakings. She has minored in Cultural Anthropology and spent the spring of her sophomore year studying in Fiji. She is truly a global citizen with a strong sense of global responsibility."
Similarly, Josh immersed himself in campus life. He entered Ithaca College in the leadership scholar program and like Amanda, has built an impressive résumé of diverse activities.
His early endeavors were as a Resident Assistant, collaborating with other RAs and professional staff to design a new hiring process, including revising the evaluation system. He was also an orientation leader, and spent four years on Elections Committee which coordinates yearly elections for class officers and student government.
Josh's leadership skills have been honed while cultivating them in other students. As a Student Leadership Consultant, he designed and implemented student enrichment programs with the offices of New Student Programs, Center for Student Leadership and Involvement, and Office of Multicultural Affairs. One of his favorite service projects though is working weekends and school breaks with Habitat for Humanity. He also received the Peggy R. Williams Award for Academic and Community Leadership in 2008. And he is Mr. January 2009 on the Gentlemen of CMD Calendar !
His most challenging work though has been as the student member of the college's Board of Trustees. In that position, he has been a full voting member, working with senior administration to determine long term goals, approve budgets, and set new policies. He took on the responsibility of keeping the Board updated on student perspectives. The Board membership ignited an interest in pursuing a career in education administration, and he has been accepted at Harvard University for graduate study.
"Josh has taken advantage of learning and service opportunities that align perfectly with his future career goals," comments Howard Kalman, Josh’s academic advisor. "The experience he's gained from course projects and campus leadership activities has given him powerful competencies and an edge up."
Campus Life Award honorees will be recognized at a reception on May 17, at 3:30, in Emerson C. Communication management and design students have historically shown marked achievement in leadership at Ithaca College. Twelve Campus Life Award recipients majored in this program* in the last 13 years. Amanda '08 and Josh '08 are in good company, with Kristen Leising '07, Brian Dashew '06, Julie Ting Ting Perng '06, Morgan Steele '05, Elizabeth King '02, Nicholas Tarant '00, Catherine Henry '98, Jamie Pudney '98, Tricia Williamson '96, and Jill Straus '95.
*The communication management and design program's name has changed over the years, so some from this listing majored in the program under other names: organizational communication, learning and design; corporate communication.
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