Martin Garcia of LaPorte, Ind., has been honored with the highest award a student can receive from the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Manchester University.

The winner of the 2015 Luminescence Award is graduating May 17. With a degree in chemistry, Garcia dreams of becoming a physician’s assistant.

The Luminescence Award is given each year to a student who demonstrates the highest moral and ethical character, coupled with demonstrated academic achievement and community involvement.  Garcia’s name will be engraved on a plaque permanently located in the Intercultural Center.

Other nominees were Dai’Jah Asumang, a junior accounting major from Indianapolis; Sara Cruz, a junior accounting major from Fort Wayne; and Selamawit Nicolai, a senior in peace studies and international studies from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The award was presented at the annual Student Development Leadership Banquet.

Two students were selected for the Emerging Light Award, which distinguishes a first-year or sophomore student who is “lighting the Manchester University community on fire with his or her energy, drive and passion.” This award also recognizes the potential of making a lasting impression on faculty, staff and fellow students in diversity efforts.

• Brook “BK” Dagnew, a first year biology-chemistry major with a minor in business, serves as secretary for Model United Nations, is director of membership for the Manchester University International Association and will be the treasurer for Asian Awareness Association during the next academic year. From Ethiopia, he is one of the first, first-year international students to be a resident assistant. He also works as a student technician for Cordier.
• Tobechukwu Helen Nwaelugo, a first-year political science major with a minor in international studies, is an active member of the Black Student Union, African Student Association and the Manchester University Dance Team. From Nigeria, she is an active student blogger, and her first post was about the Intercultural Center. She also serves as a member on the Student Government Association.

Zander Willoughby, a sophomore in political science from Wyoming, Mich., was also nominated for the award.

Three seniors were presented with the Scholastic Achievement Award, honoring those who have maintained high academic standards while making significant contributions to the multicultural community:

• Rehab Dahab, a cognitive neuroscience psychology major from Sudan, who has been accepted into a master’s program at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.
• Giang Hoang, a biology-chemistry major from Logansport, Ind., who has secured a research assistant position in the Leukemia Center at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
• Nico Quintanar, a Physics and Mathematics major from Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico, Mexico, and Splendora, Texas, who has been accepted into a Ph.D. program in nuclear engineering at Texas A& M University in Commerce, Texas.

April 23, 2015