Student Leaders Honored

News

On Wednesday, April 19, Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) and The Ohio State University at Newark honored student leaders and organizations at the annual Scholarship and Student Leadership Dinner. The dinner grants campus supporters the opportunity to interact first-hand with students impacted by their gifts while celebrating Newark campus students’ leadership and community impact. This year, campus donors contributed an astonishing $2.6 million in scholarship funding for COTC and Ohio State Newark students.

Rhose Demarest received the Community Service Leader of the Year Award. The Ohio State Newark student was nominated by Vorley Taylor, multicultural affairs manager, for her mentoring work with Big Brother’s Big Sisters of Licking and Perry Counties, volunteering as an activities assistant at Middleton Senior Living, and her work with the Newark Homeless Outreach. Demarest, along with fellow members of the Student Cultural Council, spearheaded a coat drive for the homeless community in Newark. Taylor called Demarest a confident student who “understands the critical importance of preparing young people for academic, professional and social success while navigating life’s challenges.”

Rhose Demarest holds her certificate for the Community Service Leader of the Year Award.

This year’s Up and Coming Leader Award was presented to Ohio State Newark student Megan Cassell for her leadership and involvement on campus. Cassell is an Honors student and serves as treasurer for two student organizations, Students for Social Change and the Creative Writing Club. Student activities coordinator and nominator Annie Maxell said, “Ohio State Newark is a better place because of students like Megan who take their academics and extracurriculars seriously while creating a wholesome campus community.”

Megan Cassell holds her certificate for the Up and Coming Leadership Award.

Kylie Doon received the RESPECT Award for demonstrating responsibility, equity, self-awareness, purpose, enthusiasm, compassion and teamwork. Doon serves as secretary for the Campus Activity Board, secretary for the Student Cultural Council, a Newark campus student ambassador and an academic peer coach for the Engineering Learning Community. She also was a member of the 2022 Homecoming court, whose members are chosen based on their academic success, leadership qualities, spirit, integrity and achievement through their contributions and involvement.

Additionally, Doon received the William A. Kilpatrick Leadership Award, which recognizes a second-year Ohio State Newark student involved in one or more organizations that demonstrates strong and consistent leadership. Omer Faruk Atahan, a fellow student, highlighted her desire to improve the campus community and consistent leadership in his nomination. Atahan further praised Doon, saying she “shows tremendous commitment to making The Ohio State University at Newark a place where students feel at home.”

Kylie Doon holds her certificate for the J. Gilbert Reese Next Generation Community Leadership Award.

COTC student Emi Lippincott earned the Kelly Saffle Leadership Award, awarded to a COTC student who exemplifies strong and consistent leadership in one or more student organizations. Lippincott holds leadership roles in two student organizations, serving as the elected president of Otaku and the treasurer for Active Minds, a student organization that promotes mental health awareness. The human services student was nominated by Mental Health Counselor Megan Hughett, MSW, LISW-S, who shared in the nomination that Lippincott is “extremely dedicated to showing kindness across campus as well as being passionate about helping others” and that “they will go onto accomplishing great things with their career.”

Emi Lippincott holds her certificate for the Kelly Saffle Leadership Award.

Other awards acknowledged include:

Outstanding Student Organization of the Year

2022-2023 recipient: Student Cultural Council

Outstanding Student Organization Program

2022-2023 recipient: HOPE Club

The Outstanding Collaborative Program Award

2022-2023 recipient: Residence Life and the Campus Activities Board

The Above and Beyond Award Faculty/Staff

2022-2023 recipient: Jared Stearns, Ohio State Newark academic advisor

The J. Gilbert Reese Next Generation Community Leadership Award

To honor and recognize J. Gilbert Reese’s incredible legacy of visionary leadership and community support and inspire the next generation of community leaders, The Ohio State University at Newark, Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) and the Newark Campus Development Fund established the J. Gilbert Reese Next Generation Community Leadership Award in 2019. The award is presented annually to one COTC student and one Ohio State Newark student in November. Each recipient receives a framed certificate, and a $2,000 scholarship is applied to their tuition for the following spring semester.

Recipients were acknowledged at the dinner with other student leaders. The Ohio State Newark student selected was Doon, winner of the RESPECT and William A. Kilpatrick Leadership Award. The 2022 Homecoming Court member and campus leader is heavily involved in many campus organizations and is committed to helping her fellow students. Doon is also a stellar student who has performed very well academically. The COTC winner was Lippincott, who also earned the Kelly Saffle Leadership Award. Lippincott’s compassion, academic achievements and desire to help others made her a standout candidate.

COTC is a fully accredited, public college dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible programs of technical education in response to current and emerging employment needs. COTC has four campus locations: Newark, Coshocton, Knox and Pataskala.