UMN Crookston Honors Students at 2026 Awards Ceremony

The University of Minnesota Crookston held its annual Student Awards Ceremony on April 16, 2026 in Bede Ballroom and honored a number of individuals for their hard work and dedication over the school year. Over 40 awards were handed out in six categories including Student Employment, Student Leadership, Athletics, Academics, Student-Voted, and Student of the Year.

Among those recognized were UMN Crookston Students of the Year - Emmah Burnes, Ayush Singh, and Jada Schimke. The Student of the Year award goes to a junior or senior who best demonstrates the skills and commitment required to succeed in college, business, and life while exhibiting Golden Eagle Pride, professionalism, and strong work ethic, all while excelling in academics.

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The full list of award recipients included:

Student Employment Awards

• Admissions Student Ambassador of the Year - Chase Nelson
• Animal Attendant of the Year - Belle Syrett
• Athletics Student Employee of the Year - Jada Schimke
• Computer Help Desk Student of the Year - Hermon Tegegn
• Library Student Employee of the Year - Mikaela Woodruff
• Outstanding Student Employee of the Year - Brooke Hoven

Student Leadership Awards

• Peer Mentor of the Year - Lauren Bowyer
• Peer Tutor of the Year - Diane Cilengi
• Community Advisor of the Year - Ayush Singh
• Outstanding Student Orientation Staff Award - Kelsey Harms and Codey Wolff
• Outstanding Student Group Representative - Najeem Sekoni
• Outstanding CSA Senator - Zach Hanson
• Golden Eagle Entertainment Programmer of the Year - Presley Westrum
• The Inclusion and Belonging Excellence Award - Diane Cilengi

Athletic Awards

• Male Scholar Student Athlete of the Year - Kyle Odenbach
• Female Scholar Student Athlete of the Year - Emmah Burnes
• Male Senior Student Athlete of the Year - Connor Bushbaum
• Female Senior Student Athlete of the Year - Emma Miller

Academic Awards

• Outstanding Accounting Students - Charlotte Dombrowski and Elizabeth Medlen
• Outstanding Management Students - Natalie Mikrot and Taryn Frazer
• Outstanding Marketing Student - Isaac Telle
• Outstanding Sport and Recreation Management Student - Anaka Lysne
• Outstanding Communication Student - Kloe Wadd
• Outstanding Elementary Education Student - Victoria Olson
• Outstanding Sport Media & Communication Student - Emmah Burnes
• Outstanding Exercise Science and Wellness Student - Aiden McPhee
• Outstanding Information Technology Management Student - Sophia Shostell
• Outstanding Software Engineering Students - Alina Ivashchenko and Jim Bond
• Outstanding Agricultural Education Student - Katelyn Larson
• Outstanding Animal Science Students Hailey Schlotfeldt and Jada Schimke
• Outstanding Equine Business Management Student - Alexis Triebenbach
• Outstanding Equine Science Student - Grace Swaja
• Wildlife Society Travel Award - Hannah DeLong and Gregory Utt
• Norman Pankratz Memorial Conservation Award - Hannah DeLong
• John Polley Soil and Water Conservation Award - Michael Anderson

Student-Voted Awards

• Outstanding Educators - Theresa Helgeson and Randy Nelson, Ph.D.
• Most Supportive of Students - Layla King, Ph.D. and Laura Bell
• Outstanding Service to Students - Monica Kustritz

Student of the Year Awards

• UMN Crookston Student of the Year - Emmah Burnes
• UMN Crookston Student of the Year - Ayush Singh
• UMN Crookston Student of the Year - Jada Schimke

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