Alongside more than 100 of their peers, nine seniors were awarded the Samuel E. Wood Medallion for their outstanding leadership in student involvement at UW-Stout’s annual Leadership Awards ceremony.
The program, held on May 3, included Outstanding Student Leader; Student Employee of the Year; Outstanding Cooperative Education and Internship Student of the Year; Global Ambassadors; and more.
The event was sponsored by the Involvement Center, Stout Student Association and Career Services. Those nominated for awards also were recognized.
Wood Medallion winners
The Wood Medallion is the highest nonacademic award for students at UW-Stout. Less than 1% of full-time students received the award. Winners are chosen by a committee representing faculty, staff and students.
Award recipients are:
- Lauren Dillinger, of Auburndale, art education and studio art
- Cody Gentz, of Kenosh, computer science
- Claire Henneman, of Bloomer, hotel, restaurant and tourism management
- Connor Johnson, of Algonquin, Ill., computer and electrical engineering
- Bradley Kase, of Lake Geneva, computer and electrical engineering
- Anna Kent, of Eau Claire, packaging
- Martha Mehring, of Waterford, retail merchandising and management
- Isabella Ramm, of Zimmerman, Minn., interior design
- Alexis Setzer, of North Branch, Minn., family and consumer sciences education
Johnson and Kase graduated on May 6, crossing the commencement stage one after the other.
“Being nominated for the Wood Medallion alongside a classmate is pretty neat, but Bradley is more than a classmate,” Johnson said.
They met as campus tour guides for the Admissions Office and immediately became friends. Together, they worked on class projects, were Week One Orientation leaders in fall 2022 and served as research assistants. They also served as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers student organization leaders – Johnson as president and Kase as vice president.
“It's so amazing to share these accomplishments with Bradley, and the fact that we were both recognized for these achievements with the award is something we will get to hold onto together forever,” Johnson said.
Johnson was nominated for his involvement across campus and for revitalizing and reinventing the IEEE club, with the help of his colleagues, “to mean something to students” and provide more opportunities.
“I was really excited to win the Samuel E. Wood Medallion as I feel as it represents all of my involvement across campus in a physical form,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who also received an Outstanding CEIP Student of the Year award, will be an electrical engineer at Aqua Aerobic Systems Inc. in Rockford, Ill. “With computer and electrical engineering, there are so many possibilities. I am so fortunate to have this opportunity right out of college and am very excited to see where it takes me,” he said.
Samuel E. Wood was a longtime assistant chancellor for Student Services/Dean of Students. He retired in 1991 and died in February 2013.
Leadership Awards
Winners of the annual Leadership Awards are chosen by a committee made up of faculty, staff and students.
The winners are:
- Outstanding Student Leader of the Year, three winners: Kalie Dahl, of Cologne, Minn.; Bailey Iwen, of Merrill; and Domonique Sturrup, of New Providence, Bahamas
- Student Employee of the Year, three winners: Alison Klann, of Lodi, University Housing; Erin O’Brien, of South Haven, Minn., Math TLC; and Noah Royce, of Mattoon, Math TLC
- Global Ambassadors, two winners: Yohana Ohlrogge, of Middleton, American College of Greece, spring 2022; and Emma Nuechterlein, of Kewaunee, Chung-Ang University, 2021-22
- Student Staff Team of the Year, two winners: Admissions Tour Guides, Admissions Office; and Advisement Center Front Desk, Advisement Center
- Student Organization of the Year, two winners: International Club and Service Club
- Student Organization Event of the Year, four winners: Stout Retail Association’s SRA Minnesota Fashion Week Trip; Club Management Association of America and Hospitality Sales Marketing Association International’s Hospitality Mixer; International Club’s International Night; and Service Club’s Trick or Treating for Canned Goods
- Bill Siedlecki Advisor of the Year, two winners: Danielle Clarizio, International Club; and Malinda Herbert, Service Club
Outstanding CEIP Student of the Year Award
The Outstanding Cooperative Education and Internship Program Student of the Year Award was given to 26 students.
This past year, more than 1,070 students participated in co-ops and internships through Career Services at 705 employers in 37 states.
The winners are selected by the program’s Advisory Committee for excellence and achievements in their positions, for contributions to their employers and for academic achievement.
The winners, their hometowns, majors and employers are:
- Isabel Bratley, of Ashland, retail merchandising and management, Maurices
- Kendra Durkee, of Rhinelander, business administration, Superior Diesel
- Connor Engen, of Eau Claire, manufacturing engineering and mechanical engineering, Flex
- Jacie Gordon, of Elk River, Minn., business administration, Target
- Caleb Grablin, of Apex, N.C., hotel, restaurant and tourism management, Geneva National Resort & Club
- Anna Hansen, of Eau Claire, applied mathematics and computer science, UW-Stout
- Julia Hellquist, of Andover, Minn., mechanical engineering, General Motors
- Daniel Johnsen, of Minnetonka, Minn., computer science, Hennepin County
- Connor Johnson, of Algonquin, Ill., computer and electrical engineering, John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc.
- Anna Kent, of Eau Claire, packaging, Kimberly-Clark
- Preston Leigh, of Forest Lake, Minn., computer and electrical engineering, Medtronic
- Olivia Leipnitz, of Menomonie, packaging, Schreiber Foods
- Ellise Little, of West Bend, fashion and retail, Destination Kohler-Whistling Straits
- Laura Mak, of St. Paul, computer and electrical engineering, Collins Aerospace
- Riley Michaud, of Menomonie, hotel, restaurant and tourism management, Stock Farm Club
- Ethan Myers, of Pleasant Prairie, packaging, Schreiber Foods
- Sara Nyhus, of Roberts, entertainment design, UW-Stout
- Breanna Pence, of Madison, psychology, Domestic Abuse Intervention Services
- Allison Pizzi, of River Falls, interior design, Brick + Linen
- Michael Rosin, of East Troy, mechanical engineering, Empire Level
- Rebecca Schipper, of Viroqua, packaging, Kohler Co.
- Andrew Svob, of Bloomington, Ill., hotel, restaurant and tourism management, Walt Disney World
- Sadhana Thokachichu, of Kammam, India, food science and technology, Bunge
- Halle Weinmann, of Minneapolis, interior design, Cuningham Group Architecture Inc.
- Ashley Yoshino, of Eau Claire, hotel, restaurant and tourism management, Stock Farm Club
- Austin Zoborowski, of Wausau, manufacturing engineering, Greenheck
To learn more about the academic programs of the award winners, visit the websites of the College of Arts and Human Sciences and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Management.
