Student Engagement Awards

June Hargadon is the founder and co-president of the Queer Student Alliance (QSA) at Oakland Community College, a role in which she goes above and beyond in active participation, leadership, and having an extremely strong passion for creating an inclusive and supportive community. June’s selflessness and kindness are unparalleled; she consistently strives to create a welcoming environment for everyone involved in the QSA, making sure that each member feels valued and connected. She’s made great efforts in making it to every meeting, meetings that we will sometimes have at multiple campuses.  As an intelligent and driven student, June is actively pursuing a transfer to the University of Michigan, an academically driven goal she’s tackling with determination. Despite the challenges of this pursuit, she continues to balance her academic responsibilities with her leadership roles within the QSA, inspiring others (like me) to do the same.  June has shown me the ability to create a sense of belonging and has been a true role model in demonstrating what it means to lead with empathy and kindness towards others. In fact, I had no idea these awards existed, and it’s another thing she has opened the doors for me to seek out, as I could not think of a better person who truly deserves to have been nominated for this award.

Devin Greer-Travis who is the vice president of the NSA, is a strong and compassionate leader who is deeply integrated into the school community. Her passion for academics is evident in her dedication to her classes, but she also makes time to support others by tutoring her peers. Devin's ability to balance her own studies while helping others speaks to her commitment to both personal growth and the success of those around her. Whether organizing events, leading meetings, or offering academic support, Devin is always looking for ways to make a positive impact. Her leadership, dedication, and kindness inspire everyone in the school community.

Bradley Donahue who is the NSA president, excels in his role, no matter the challenge. He approaches every task with unwavering determination and a positive attitude, ensuring that the NSA's needs are met while always keeping the student body’s best interests at heart. Brad engages with everyone he meets, making a genuine effort to connect with students from all backgrounds and grade levels. Whether he’s addressing a crowd at an event or having a casual conversation in the hallway, Brad's approachability and empathy shine through. His dedication to fostering a strong, inclusive school community makes him a truly outstanding leader.

She is always encouraging incoming and existing students to become their very best selves. 

Shelby Shantry (Alyse), has helped me inside and outside of school! She is a bright student and willing to drop everything just to help anyone. She works very hard and is willing to do more than she needs too.

Shawn Dicicco has been nothing shy of wonderful! Since I started college, she has always been in my corner. I have always felt that if something went wrong Shawn had my back. Her positive attitude & helpfulness has made my time at OCC wonderful!

Ayman Kaddouh was in the Paramedic Certificate course with me last semester. During both class and clinical rotations, he was always ready to assist me and others, be it with clinical skills practice or in treating patients in the hospital setting. He is a kind, encouraging, and giving person; I gladly owe him a debt of gratitude for all that he did to help me in school. May God richly bless him.  

Carole Bennett goes above and beyond Always! Even when sick or going through a close death in the family, she'll be there! You can count on it! She puts us students before everything else in her life even herself, because teaching is her life and so are her students! I'm not just nominating her because she's earned it and deserves every one of these awards, I'm doing it because something's deserve a little recognition! See for yourself, in her actions, because she proves it daily! She's a great teacher, she cares, she listens, she supports, she encourages, she's there for us no matter what! She made global learning opportunities for us that we'd never have without her going ahead and paving the way first! I'm just thankful and grateful that I was lucky enough to get her as a teacher.

Charley Schwab is very helpful and believed to be great for OCC.

Erica Wrubel is an exceptionally kind individual creating inclusive and supportive environments for other students through the Intervarsity Fellowship at multiple OCC campuses. Erica also seeks opportunities for involvement and leadership by helping me further the chess club at OCC and taking on the officer position of chess club ambassador at the Orchard Ridge and Southfield campuses! 

Seth Weissman is vibrant, passionate, and wholeheartedly participates in student life at OCC. He is a man of action and it's been an exciting honor to see him collaborate in planning, as well as the development, and execution of those plans, with regards to the forming of a new OCC chess club. His passion for life, in general, is infectious; his excitement about running for student government and the prospect of joining Phi Theta Kappa have been a joy to witness. He genuinely cares about his role as a student and a natural leader without neglecting the well-being and inclusion of his fellow students. Seth has a welcoming and outgoing spirit and inspires others to connect and engage in our campus community.  

Seth Weissman, who I have known for a brief time, he’s tried his hardest to not only be supportive to his peers, but he also makes everyone feel like they’re his friend and takes the time to help them along even if they just met. He’s gained my respect not just as an OCC student but as a person all around.

Seth Weissman is an outstanding student, motivator, and friend whose dedication has left a lasting impact. His academic excellence is matched by his ability to inspire those around him, consistently encouraging others to strive for their best. Seth’s leadership shone through when he founded the first chess club that unites all OCC campuses, creating a welcoming space for students to connect, compete, and grow. His passion for learning and helping others has fostered a sense of community, making him a role model for his peers. Seth’s dedication continues to uplift and inspire everyone he meets.

Dayana Arce embodies resilience, pride, and kindness. As a new OCC student and immigrant from Nicaragua, she has overcome countless challenges with unwavering determination. Now a U.S. citizen, she carries her OCC ID badge with pride, symbolizing her hard-earned place here. Dayana is completing her ESL courses and pursuing a Business Administration degree, with dreams of transferring to Oakland University. Despite obstacles, she remains a warm-hearted, hardworking individual who inspires those around her. Her dedication to education, her community, and her future makes her the perfect candidate for this award. Dayana doesn’t just attend OCC—she truly connects, engages, and belongs.

Maxwell Tupper for Introductory Geology - has been such an amazing instructor. This was my first class after returning to school after 23 yrs. He never once made me feel stupid for not understanding things like my younger classmates. However, not only that but he takes his time explaining things in different ways during class, he cares about his students understanding, enjoying, and passing tests. He turned my love of rock hunting with my kids into now we actually look for certain rocks in our bins that can be classified in certain rocks or minerals. Out of all 3 of my classes, he understanding and more than willing to  take the extra time with students before or after class to explain things in more detail. He deserves recognition in all he does. 

Seth Weissman, who I met after one of my classes when I decided to watch some students playing chess.  I have started learning how to play chess, and when I saw multiple students playing a game, I asked if I would be able to watch them.  Seth was one of the students playing chess, and he was very welcoming.  He told me how he has started the Royal Oak chess club, and asked if I would like to join.  He seemed great at bringing people together, was very welcoming and kind, and I think he would be perfect for this award.  :) 

Ali ZaqZuq, cares about his students and encourages his students to engage and inspires us to care about our own learning. He knows the curriculum first hand because he comes from the business world. He’s been an entrepreneur, an executive, he volunteers, is philanthropic, and encourages through personal stories mated to the material. He is an excellent educator and he extends that to the local and global community.

Mercedes Gorial inspires others by remaining calm under pressure, communicating clearly, and setting a positive example during clinical. She practices kindness towards her clinical group members, listens attentively and does not speak over others. She promotes an inclusive learning environment through active listening and cultural sensitivity when interacting with patient, clinical staff and peers. She recognizes when her peers or nurses on the floor are struggling and offers to help them with patient care, and assists in problem solving. She seeks learning opportunities without being told, and prioritizes care effectively. She has exhibited excellent research abilities when disseminating evidence based practice, and is humble.  

Renata Perez has made a great environment for her peers, making sure that she made a welcoming environment to her peers, Renata helped in the fight to get the student lounge back in A building at the Orchard Ridge campus.

Renata Perez always went above and beyond in all of her coursework and was extremely supportive of her peers. She helped make the classroom a fun place to be, and when doing group work, she shines.

Seth Weissman is an incredible asset to my class, (English 1510). He is not only insightful during class discussions, but will also step up to start the discussion if nobody is talking. Seth is also very helpful to his classmates in workshopping or peer review activities. Additionally, he has started a chess club, which is already bringing students together. I can't think of anyone who is more clearly deserving of this engagement award.

Jae Delidow is my co-leader in the Queer Student Alliance, Jae has been an incredible leader, organizer, and source of support for our campus community. Through their dedication, conflict resolution skills, and tireless effort, Jae has helped grow the QSA to over 150 members and created a welcoming, inclusive space for LGBTQ+ students. They consistently go above and beyond, leading events, fostering connections, and inspiring others to get involved. Jae’s leadership has made a lasting impact and truly reflects the values of connection, engagement, and belonging at OCC.

Alex South is Social Media Manager of the Queer Student Alliance, Alex has shown outstanding dedication to building community and fostering connection at OCC. They volunteer countless hours to organize events, share valuable resources, and keep over 200 club members informed and engaged. Alex actively facilitates communication between student organizations, encouraging collaboration and cross-club dialogue. Their commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive space for all students has made a real difference on campus. Alex’s leadership, passion, and outreach efforts truly embody the spirit of connection, engagement, and belonging.

June Hargadon, who I met during my Freshman year at OCC, I was nervous about joining a college club for the first time. Not only was June inviting, but she also recognized my passion for community service, inspiring me to apply for the role of co-president. Through exceptional leadership skills, June has played an integral role in building up OCC's QSA  to what it is today and I couldn't have done it without her. 2 years later, June continues to foster an inclusive space for all members as well as encourage them and provide opportunities to participate directly in the community that she has cultivated.

Dessaraye Christmas, myself, deserves this reward because I been struggling and figuring stuff on my own by watching the introduction videos.

Seth Weismann runs the chess club at Royal oak, wants to expand. I think its awesome. 

Seth Weissman is a great guy. He co-founded a chess with me designed to foster personal connections through playing chess.

Mihaela Mares is not only engage deeply with the course material but also encourage others to do the same. Whether it’s  group projects or just helping someone understand a tough topic, she was always there to support her classmates. Her positive energy and willingness to get involved create a welcoming, inclusive space for everyone.