Student Stories Honored During Emotional Awards Celebration

There are some nights in higher education that feel bigger than a ceremony.

This year’s Outstanding Student Awards celebration was one of them.

Inside the room, proud families clutched phones and tissues while faculty members beamed from nearby tables. Students dressed up for the occasion nervously waited for their names to be called, many carrying stories far heavier than anyone could see from the audience.

Throughout the evening, 22 students representing academic departments across the college were recognized for their leadership, perseverance, scholarship and impact. But as faculty presenters stepped to the podium one by one, the night quickly transformed into something far more personal.

It became a celebration of sacrifice and people refusing to give up on themselves.

One of the evening’s most emotional moments came from Sam Lieberman Regents Scholar Award recipient Joseph Warren Ogden.

Standing before the audience, Ogden reflected on returning to school later in life and what the experience had meant to him personally.

“I lost the chance to go through the college experience when I was younger,” Ogden shared emotionally. “And all of you younger students allowed me to fill that in.”

The room fell silent as many in attendance nodded along, understanding exactly what he meant.

In the Applied Technology category, faculty member Scott Bennett shared how quickly award recipient Taner Yoshishige distinguished himself in the classroom.

“I had him for two courses,” Bennett said. “Taner popped up right away. He always asked questions.”

Bennett recalled the student regularly staying after class to ask deeper questions about the trade and seek advice. Since then, Yoshishige has already earned a promotion to technician in the field, something Bennett said felt inevitable from the beginning.

In Biological Sciences, award recipient Amira Clark was recognized not only for academic excellence, but for already contributing to student research connected to NASA. Her projects center on women’s health research, an area faculty described as both meaningful and deeply needed.

“She’s very self-driven and very curious,” her presenter shared. “As a young student, she’s already contributing work that could help women in the future.”

Business Administration student Taneia Williams also left a lasting impression on the crowd when she shared part of her educational journey with the audience.

“I attended nine schools,” Williams said. “But CSN is home.”

The statement drew immediate applause from the audience, especially from students who understood how difficult it can be to finally find a place where you belong.

Communication student Savannah Wagner shared how returning to college after military service and the isolation of the COVID-19 era was intimidating at first. Now a mother balancing school and life responsibilities, Wagner described CSN as a welcoming place to rebuild confidence and community.

For Computer Information Technology award recipient Jeffrey Aragon, faculty described a student who was “doing everything right.”

In addition to excelling academically, Aragon was recently elected president of the Las Vegas OWASP chapter and has continued pursuing a second associate degree in cybersecurity because of how much he values his experience at CSN.

The audience applauded after hearing Aragon had recently accepted a full-time position at the Switch Data center.

English award recipient Morgan Hershey brought both humor and heart to the evening with a quote fitting for an English major.

While looking toward her professor during remarks, Hersey referenced Henry David Thoreau and said she planned to “suck the marrow out of life.”

The line drew immediate laughter and applause across the room.

One of the most emotional moments of the evening came from Health Related Professions student Helen Spencer.

A mother of two boys who works graveyard shifts while attending school, Spencer shared the story of her older sister, who passed away in 2018.

Before her death, Spencer said her sister encouraged her to return to school and believe in herself again.

“She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” Spencer said tearfully.

Audience members wiped away tears as Spencer thanked her sister for continuing to inspire her educational journey.

Hospitality student Genesis Enriquez also delivered a deeply personal message while accepting her award.

Turning toward her parents, she paused emotionally before saying, “This award isn’t for me. This is for us. I hope I make you proud.”

By the end of the evening, there were few dry eyes left in the room.

The final student speaker of the night, Brenda Neria Zapata, brought the audience to tears.

Originally from Mexico, Zapata recently earned her high school equivalency diploma and is now continuing her educational journey at CSN. During her remarks, she thanked her parents, who remain in Mexico, as well as her tíos who helped support her dream of attending college in the United States.

Then, standing at the podium, she read her speech aloud in English to the audience. The room cheered her.

As the ceremony came to a close, Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs James McCoy reflected on the many life experiences shared throughout the evening.

“You all represent the 22 most outstanding students among the 31,000 students on our campuses,” McCoy told the audience.

Then, holding up a fortune cookie message he received during his lunch break, McCoy smiled before leaving students with one final piece of advice:

“Work hard. Be nice.”

But after hearing the stories of perseverance, grief, hope and determination from the 22 honored students, the message landed perfectly.