Honors Convocation, Who's Who Award

2025 Honor Convocation and Who’s Who Awards Celebrate Top Scholars and Leaders

Courtesy of Michael Howie

On April 30, Hastings College honored students and faculty at the Honors Convocation for their achievements. 

The Don and Nancy Seaton Faculty Achievement Award was presented to Dr. Louie Eckhardt, associate professor of music. Dr. Brian Corr, associate professor of art, received the Anderson Mentoring and Advising Award, which is presented to an employee who has advised, mentored or made a significant difference in the life of a Hastings College student.

Members of the academic honorary Alpha Chi selected Casey Molifua, senior lecturer of physical education and human performance, as the Alpha Chi Outstanding Faculty. Molifua also received the Vondrak Outstanding Advisor Award.

Dr. Cat Clifford, assistant professor of English, and Dr. Brad Dinardo, assistant professor of physics, were elected through a joint faculty and student vote to present the 2025-26 Invited Faculty Lectures on the subject of their choice. Invited Faculty Lectures began in 1967 and are the highest and longest-standing faculty honor at Hastings College.

Hastings College students receiving recognition as part of Honors Convocation are listed below by state and city; with an international student at the end.

ARIZONA

Douglas

  • Isabel Tanabe – Arnold A. Alberts Outstanding Chemist Award

Flagstaff

  • Jake Weidinger – William R. Welton Physics Award

Glendale

  • Riley S. Lanning – Chuck Eigenberg Outstanding Psychology Senior Award

COLORADO

Aurora

  • Margie Osorio Barrios – Pi Kappa Delta Outstanding First Year Student

Bennett

  • Peyton Wallace – Lloyd S. and Helen M Jones Theatre Award

Fort Collins

  • Kaelyn Pontes – Outstanding Senior Student in Mathematics

Highlands Ranch

  • Vince Byrne – Lambda Pi Eta Outstanding Communication Studies Scholar

La Junta

  • Karl Ludwig – Outstanding Senior in Music

Loveland

  • Cecilia Velarde – Outstanding Senior in Business and Economics

Norwood

  • Claire Jacobs – Lloyd S. and Helen M Jones Theatre Award

Thornton

  • Emma Morelli – Squash-Buckler Award for Outstanding History Student

Westminster

  • Victoria Mallory – Tamara Babcock Award

Windsor

  • Dakota Pritchard –  Teacher Education Outstanding Senior – 7-12

Woodland Park

  • Claire Fuqua – Lloyd S. and Helen M Jones Theatre Award

KANSAS

Arlington

  • Elizabeth Miller – Outstanding Senior in History

MISSOURI

Warrensburg

  • Eli Nappe – Outstanding Exercise Science Major

NEBRASKA

Alliance

  • Chloe Blumanthal – Outstanding Criminology Senior

Aurora

  • Carrie Brosman – Denny Storer Political Science Award

Bellevue

  • Brianna Narick – Pi Kappa Delta Speaker of the Year

Farwell

  • Sam Acosta Castellanos – Harry James Physics Award

Fremont

  • Camden McKenzie – Teacher Education Outstanding Senior – K-6

Gering

  • Teyla Huff  – Fred Mattes Outstanding First Year Chemistry Student Award
  • Lily Teeple – Outstanding Student Association Executive Council Member

Grand Island

  • Erick Rodriguez – Hastings College Outstanding Performer in Music

Hastings

  • Grace Hartman – Outstanding Sophomore English Award and Alpha Chi Outstanding Sophomore Student
  • Abigail Fielder – Harry James Physics Award
  • Markus Miller – Outstanding PE Major of the Year

Lexington

  • Hailey Vigil – Clara Altman Award for Foreign Languages

Lincoln

  • Joy Blocker – Outstanding Engagement Award in Art
  • Luke Lewandowski – Dr. Art and Eunice Langvardt Award
  • Avery Usher – Outstanding First Year English Award and the Pi Kappa Delta Outstanding First Year Student

Mason City

  • Caden Holm – Outstanding PE Major of the Year

Omaha

  • Lucy Reid – Outstanding Sophomore Student in Mathematics

Orleans

  • Ann Bose – Alpha Chi Outstanding First Year Student

Papillion

  • Annalise Doorlag – Outstanding Student Association Senator

Shickley

  • Maddie Kamler – Dr. Harold Shiffler Award

Sutherland

  • Molly Kammerer – Adrian Award

Waverly

  • Anna Bultman – Steven Lingwall Senior English Award and Outstanding Achievement Award in Art

NEVADA

Las Vegas

  • Marissa Ruiz – Adrian Award and Outstanding Student Association Programming Board Member

NORTH DAKOTA 

Bismark

  • Jilee Golus – Outstanding Sociology Senior

TEXAS

League City

  • Victoria Harris – Lambda Pi Eta Outstanding New Communicator Award

INTERNATIONAL

THE BAHAMAS

Nassau

  • Nicky Georges – Wendell V. Showalter Award

Bios for the Bronco Award recipients and the other Who’s Who honorees are listed below.

Alyssa Baker of Bentonville, Ark., is a biology major and has been on the Dean’s List. She was Student Association president this year after serving as vice president last year, and has been actively involved with the Beta Beta Beta biology honor society, Chi Omega Psi, Association of Student Athletes, Food 4 Thought and Catholic Social Services. She was a member of the women’s basketball team, the homecoming court, the Black Student Union, and served as vice president of the Health Ministry for the Juniata United Methodist Church. She was also named Outstanding Young Church Woman by the Methodist Women United.

Myah Brown is a biology major from Grand Island, Neb.. The Dean’s List and Scott Scholar student has been active in the Honors Program and was a member of Alpha Chi, Beta Beta Beta biology honor society, co-president of the Student Health Advisory Council, was an Irish Fellow and in the Athletic Management Program. She was on the homecoming court and has served as the president for Diabetes Link.

Vincent Byrne of Highlands Ranch, Colo., is a member of the Dean’s List, Alpha Chi, Lambda Pi Eta and Bronco Catholic. The communication studies major also participated on the Bronco baseball team and was active in student media.  

Riley Clavel is a business administration and exercise science double major from Roy, N.M. The Dean’s List and Scott Scholar student has been a member of Alpha Chi, Chi Omega Psi, Bronco Catholic, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Business Leaders of America and the homecoming court. She has been a starting guard for the Bronco women’s basketball team, where, her first year, she was named All-Conference Honorable Mention.

Kyle Collins is an economics and mathematics double major from North Eleuthera, The Bahamas. He has been active with the Student Senate, the HCLS Student Symposium Committee, CRU and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. A member of the Dean’s List, he has also served as a resident assistant, a math tutor, as a Career Services ambassador and was a member of the Bronco Advisory Council.

Mireia del Val Fernandez from Madrid, Spain, is a business administration, economics and finance triple major and a member of the Dean’s List and Honors Program. She is a member of Alpha Chi, student media, Model United Nations and a resident assistant, and has also played on the women’s soccer team and interned in the Hastings College Business Office.

Jermaine Francis Jr., a health systems major from Nassau, The Bahamas, is a Dean’s List student and a member of the cheer team, student media, the Student Association entertainment committee, Student Senate and the homecoming court. He has also been actively involved in theatre productions. 

Riley Lanning is a psychology and history & philosophy double major from Glendale, Ariz. She’s been involved in Phi Alpha Theta; Psi Chi, where she served as president; the Beta Beta Beta biology honor society; HCLS Student Symposium Committee; and Alpha Chi, where she was named Outstanding First Year Student and the Outstanding Second Year Student. The Dean’s List and Honors Program student has also served as a tutor for Studio 200, a campus tour guide, head resident assistant in Taylor Hall and a research assistant in the Department of Psychology and Sociology. Lanning was named Academic Athlete of the Year as a member of the women’s golf team, participated on the dance team and was on the homecoming court. She founded the Association for Women’s Health Education & Research, completed a summer research program in Belgium and worked as an English as a Second Language intern for the Hastings Literacy Program.

Karl Ludwig of La Junta, Colo., is a philosophy & religion major. They are a Dean’s List student, and has been a member of the Hastings College band, choir and bell choir, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. They were also on the Homecoming Court and has participated with the Hastings Symphony Orchestra, Chorus of the Plains and Chancel Choir, and was a member of the Nebraska Intercollegiate Band

Josephine Parker is a business and community development major and Scott Scholar from Omaha, Neb.. She was an Irish Fellow, spent a semester abroad in Scotland and recently collaborated in developing a program that will be funded by a grant to address community revitalization and brain drain. She was also a summer program lead for Prairie Loft for three years and is creating curriculum for its new partnership with an international school in Ghana to teach global agricultural learning.

Lily Teeple is a business administration and marketing double major from Gering, Neb. A Dean’s List and Scott Scholar student, she has been involved with the Student Association executive council and recently collaborated in developing a program that will be funded by a grant to address community revitalization and brain drain. Teeple also works for the Hastings Business Improvement District.

Tymia Thompson is a history & philosophy and political science double major from Nassau, The Bahamas. The Dean’s List student has been an active member of the Hastings College Choir and Choral Union, Pi Sigma Alpha, Student Senate, student media and Black Student Alliance. A member of the forensics team, Thompson has also served as a resident assistant, Campus Connect worker, campus tour guide and won the campus Big Idea competition.

Cecilia Velarde of Loveland, Colo., is a communication studies and marketing double major. The Dean’s List student is a member of Alpha Chi, where she served as president this year; Lambda Pi Eta; and the track and field team. She also interned in the Office of Marketing and Communications and was co-host of the BroncPod podcast.

Victoria Vondra is a biology major from Crete, Neb.. The Dean’s List student is a member of Alpha Chi, the Beta Beta Beta biology honors society, Student Association and Student Health Advisory Council. She has also been a resident assistant, served as a tour guide and was actively involved in CRU and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Christian Wiegert of Grand Island, Neb., is a biology major. The Honors Program student has been a member of the Student Health Advisory Council, CRU, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Beta Beta Beta, the biology honors society where he served as treasurer. A resident assistant, Wiegert has also served as a campus tour guide and has participated on the cross country and track and field teams.

Claire Wiegert is a business administration and secondary education double major from Greeley, Colo.. A Dean’s List and Scott Scholar, Wiegert has been active in CRU, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, a Youth for Christ volunteer and a member of the homecoming court.