PULLMAN, Wash. — Outstanding students in Washington State University’s College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences were honored Saturday (April 8) at the 47th annual college awards banquet.
Justin Leighton, a senior from Puyallup, was named the 2006 Aggie of the Year. The award recognizes the college’s all-around outstanding senior majoring in either agriculture or natural resources. He is studying agricultural education.
Leighton has been active in both the horticulture and agricultural education clubs and has served as one of two student representatives on the Dean’s Advisory Committee for the college. He was appointed to the WSU Board of Regents in 2005 by Gov. Christine Gregoire in 2005. The Regents appointed him to the Students Book Corp. board of directors.
Leah Mee Soon Borg, a senior from Spokane, received the Family Consumer Scientist of the Year Award. The award recognizes the college’s outstanding senior majoring in apparel, merchandising, design and textiles; interior design; human development or human nutrition. Borg is majoring in human nutrition.
She has been on the President’s Honor Roll every semester while at WSU. She is secretary of the Student Nutrition Awareness Club and a cheerleader for football, basketball and other sports. She has performed volunteer service at the Harvest House, Pullman Food Bank, Pullman Regional Hospital and the Community Child Care Center.
Ineke Marie Ojanen, a junior from Yakima, was named the college’s Outstanding Junior in Human Sciences. The human nutrition major would like to work in the field of sports nutrition or food service as a dietitian.
She was one of WSU’s Outstanding Freshman Scholars and a Regent’s Scholar and has been on the President’s Honor Roll every semester at WSU. She is treasurer of the Student Nutrition Awareness Club and participates in other activities that support her major.
Christopher D. Hiles, a junior from Colfax, was recognized as the Capital Press Outstanding Junior in Agriculture. Hiles, who is pursuing a degree in the fruit and vegetable option of horticulture, is a non-traditional student who came to WSU after several years of work experience. He has been on the President’s Honor Roll for all five semesters at WSU.
Hiles is president of the college Student Senate and is greenhouse manager of the Horticulture Club. He also is active in the Viticulture and Enology Club.
Kathryn Dern, a sophomore from Duval, received the college Freshman of the Year award. The award, sponsored by Alpha Zeta, is for achievements during the previous academic year. Dern is a pre-vet student majoring in animal sciences.
Outstanding seniors in each major were recognized at the banquet. In addition, the names of 84 scholars were added to the Dean’s Honor Roll and more than $456,880 in scholarships were awarded to 375 students.
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