Recipients of the Outstanding Student Awards, college-wide awards for Metro seniors, were honored at a banquet Friday.

"The awards recognize students in the areas of scholarship, leadership and service," said Joanna Duenas, interim associate vice president/dean of student life. The awards banquet is sponsored by the President's Office, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Student Services and the Office of Student Life.

Kevin Burke, a biology major graduating with a 3.92 GPA, received the President's Award, the highest honor for a graduating senior at Metro State. The award honors a graduate who demonstrates the utmost standards of academic excellence, leadership and integrity both on- and off-campus.

Burke, a former security specialist in the U.S. Air Force, has been on the President's Honor Roll every year and is a member of the Golden Key International Society. He hopes to attend graduate school in forensic toxicology and become a special agent for the FBI.

As the recipient of the President's Award, Burke addressed the graduating class at this year's Spring Commencement ceremony.

Metro has been recognizing outstanding students since 1983. A committee made up of representatives from the three schools, Student Life and Student Services, along with alumni and students, solicits nominations throughout the year and selects the winners. In the case of the President's Award, the Vice President awards and the American Association of University Women Award, three recommendations were forwarded to those offices for final selection.

Other Outstanding Student Award winners, all May 2004 graduates, include:

Special Service - Academic Affairs
Aviv Segey, Psychology

Special Service - Student Services
D. Nico Baker, Social Work

American Association of University Women
Mary Camacho, Psychology

Student Leadership
Harris Singer, Anthropology and Political Science

Academic Achievement
Noah Yetter, Economics

Academic Achievement, College and Community Service
Ebony Monique Gainey, Computer Information Systems

Outstanding Student Award, School of Business
Mikhail I. Bekishev, Accounting
Susan Turowski-Reher, Computer Information Systems

Outstanding Student Award, School of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Rene Freshour, English
James Haggard, Biology
Sarah Raines, Biology

Outstanding Student Award, School of Professional Studies
Daniel Patrick Garza III, Technical Communications
Krista Kaufmann, Individualized Degree Program

The awards committee also selected 51 students to be recognized in "Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges," a national registry of college juniors and seniors for achievement in academics, service and leadership. Those students are:

School of Business:
Mikhail Bekishev
Janelle Bott
Michael Erskine
Inna Gofman
Paul Guinan
Nick Gustafson
Chad Kozlowski
Tyler Murphy
Stephanie Schuette
Robert Statnick
Sylvia Tanner
Elu Thomas
Susan Turowski-Reher
Cindy Wirth

School of Letters, Arts and Sciences:
David Nicolas Baker
Summer Brakey
Kevin Burke
Tabitha Dial
Hannah Ellison
Bahareh Esmaeili
Rene Marie Freshour
Paul Fuschino
Ryan Gehring
Chani Goering
Leah Hamilton
Stephen Hay
Parri Hinton
Erin Martinez
Erin Mays
Jennifer McDonald
Jennifer Nacino
Danielle Antoinette Nesbitt
Tanya Amber Netz
Cynthia Oliver
Sarah Raines
Mary Robertson
Cuong Van

School of Professional Studies:
Jason Ammon
Andrea Balogh
Daniel Garza, III
Devon Herron
Krista Kaufmann
Lynn Kernan
Bryan King
Sarah Lyke
Melissa Massey
Melissa Pankau
Adalia Rafati
Lawrence Runn
Bonnie Thompson
Mary Ursich