Connections

Previous award winners and females featured prominently during the academic awards forum on Avondale College's Lake Macquarie campus this past Wednesday (November 7).

Braden Blyde and Danielle Weiler each received the largest monetary award, the $2000 Avondale Foundation Award of Excellence. Both are final-year arts and teaching students and both have served as president of the Avondale Student and Faculty Association. Braden also won an excellence award in education to add to a similar award in arts in 2005. Foundation president Dr Norm Young described Braden and Danielle as students who are academically superior and who show concern for others. Then he again offered financial advice. "Interest rates have just gone up, so speak to my colleague [general manager Greg Meddick] about investing it in the foundation."

Theology students Lili Radziszewski and Peter Watts added to an award they shared this past year. Lili receives $1000 for winning the Graham Miller Memorial Award. Peter not only receives $1000 for winning the Bill Marr Institute of Public Evangelism Award, he becomes, for the first time in the award's history, an honorary member of the institute. Nicole Slee won the first Edna Heise Communication Award of Excellence ($500).

Sharyn Brady received two awards, the Bachelor of Arts Award of Excellence ($500) and the Award of Excellence in Journalism ($1000). Holly O'Grady is also a multiple award winner, but in different semesters. The $1000 she received for winning the Bachelor of Business Award of Excellence comes on top of the $4000 she received earlier in the year for winning the Patterson Avondale Foundation Award of Excellence in Marketing and Management.

Krystal Harder won big money, too. An investigative unit she prepared on the properties of oil earned her the $2000 Primary Pre-service Teacher Awards Scheme for Excellence in Science Education.

Stacey Hetherington bounded onto the stage to receive two awards, the Avondale Alumni Association's Community Service Award ($1000) and the Tertiary Student Health and Physical Education Award.

Twenty-three of the 33 award winners were female.

Connections Online: "Academic awards winners"
 
Caption: Theology student Lili Radziszewski with her Graham Miller Memorial Award, presented to her by Dr Rob McIver.
Credit: Ann Stafford