Henry L. Janssen Honors Council Awards

Each year, the Dr. Henry L. Janssen Honors Council Award and Scholarship is presented to graduating seniors who are members of all five of the university-wide honors societies: 

• Phi Eta Sigma
• Golden Key
• Mortar Board
• Phi Beta Kappa
• Phi Kappa Phi

Honorees

The 2013 honorees were announced at the Mortar Board initiation ceremony held in April.  This year, 13 students received the award which is the largest group since the award was established 14 years ago.

• Alexander Arena, political science and biology double major
  Arena double majored in political science and biology with a minor in chemistry. He plans to apply for medical school and wants to become a practicing physician who brings healthcare to the underserved areas in the United States.

• Madison Bala, kinesiology major
  Bala interned at the Intercollegiate Athletics Department at the University of California, San Diego while studying at SDSU. There, she interacted with athletes on a daily basis and worked within the domains of injury prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation. Bala also worked as an athletic trainer for Grossmont College. In the summer of 2012, she studied abroad in Florence, Italy.

• Shannon Clark, political science major
  Clark was the first student from SDSU to receive the prestigious Udall Scholarship, a national scholarship given to students who have demonstrated a significant commitment to environmental causes. Clark received this award because of a number of energy efficiency projects she launched on campus, including a retrofit of appliances and lighting in Aztec Shops.

• Nicholas Furey, French major
  Furey minored in international security and conflict resolution and received an honors minor in interdisciplinary studies. He was also an executive member of SDSU's Residence Hall Association.

• Emily Issler, psychology major
  The Janssen award is a culmination of Issler's hard work during her years at SDSU. She was involved in several clubs and organizations, participated in a study abroad program in Spain and volunteered in Ghana at a school for impoverished children.

• Bianca Kofman, kinesiology major
  Kofman participated in a multitude of organizations from honors societies to community service groups. These organizations enabled her to get a full time job after graduation at Pura Vida Bracelets.

• Gemma Koor, cellular and molecular biology major
  Koor worked as a research student at the Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation while at SDSU. 

• Katie Martin, ISCOR and political science major
  Martin was selected as the 2013 Outstanding Graduating Senior for the International Security and Conflict Resolution Department, as well as the president of the ISCOR Student Society. She was also awarded Quest for the Best Vice Presidential Student Service Award.

• Allison Pierce, English major
  Pierce will work towards a California Teaching Credential for Secondary Education English-Literature and will teach at Hoover High School. Pierce also plans to obtain a master's degree in children's and adolescent Literature, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology. She was the president of Mortar Board as well as a conference assistant for Mortar Board National. Only five students out of 200 chapters were selected for the conference assistant position. 

• Ariel Rawson, interdisciplinary studies major
  Rawson will attend Ohio State University to get a Ph.D in geography. She was co-chair of the Last Lecture Series and president of the SDSU Honors Council.

• Greg Rogers, biology major
  Rogers will attend Walter Reed Medical School and was the co-president of Golden Key Honor Society, and president of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Alpha Epsilon Delta, a national health pre-professional honor society.

• Leigh Rutherford, psychology major
  Rutherford competed on the SDSU cross country and track team and studied abroad in Perth, Australia while at SDSU.  She also worked at Helix High School as an academic coach for struggling high school students.

• Kristin Sword, journalism major
  Sword was awarded Quest for the Best in her junior year, represented the PSFA College Council on the 2012 Homecoming Court and will intern in project management for Red Door Interactive, a marketing company, while she prepares for the GRE and LSAT.