May 19, 2003

Students honored for achievement

Seven students, one from each College, received the Outstanding Senior Award at the annual Honors Convocation on May 4.

They are: Jose Castillo, College of Health and Human Services; Willie G. Harris, College of Education; Leonard Hoffman, College Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies; Matthew K. Lettau, College of Engineering and Computer Science; Sherlyn A. Reafsnyder, College of Arts and Letters; Sita K. Singh, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; and Lisa Wilson, College of Business Administration.

Castillo is a criminal justice major who was honored for rising above gang life to enlist in the Marine Corps and for serving as an intern with the California District Attorney’s Association. Harris, a vocational education major, was recognized for his service to persons with disabilities in his position with the City of Sacramento.

Social sciences major Hoffman was honored for his work as pastor of a multicultural church in London and his commitment to special education while working in the North Sacramento School District. Lettau, a computer engineering major, was recognized for his academic work in designing new development boards and maintaining design tools for two computer labs, for tutoring student peers in many subject areas and for serving six years of active duty with the U.S. Navy.

Reafsnyder, an English major, was honored for her participation in the student research competition, her extracurricular service as a foster parent for 27 years and for raising seven foster children last fall while earning A’s in all her academic work. Biological sciences student Singh was recognized for feeding the homeless, working with mentally disabled patients, serving as an emergency room volunteer and tutoring high school students.

And Wilson, a management major, was recognized for her extracurricular service with a number of student and professional organizations and her participation in a cross-cultural trip to Egypt, where she worked with a local micro-enterprise development.