Thirteen students who have made contributions to the University and community while excelling in the classroom were named to the NSU Hall of Fame, which is the highest honor to be bestowed upon a Nicholls student. Students were honored as the top one percent of their graduating class at the Nicholls Alumni Federation’s Awards for Excellence reception.
The 2003 Hall of Fame honorees are Keli Bonvillain, management senior from Thibodaux; Jamie Boudreaux, health and physical education senior from Mathews; Mykah Boudreaux, general family and consumer sciences senior from Lockport; Lacey Callahan, fall 2002 mass communication graduate from Houma; Jason Dagate, management senior from Houma; Tana Detillier, dietetics senior from Lutcher; James Irwin, mass communication senior from Morgan City; Alcie Maxwell, history senior from Alexandria; Trina Peters, mathematics senior from Hudson, Wis.; Samiko Price, government senior from Bourg; Erica Settoon, mass communication senior from Plaquemine; Erin Terracina, biology pre-medicine senior from Thibodaux; and Melissa Trosclair, English senior from Thibodaux.
“We’ve been really fortune that when we get down to selecting the best of the best Nicholls has a good crop to pick from,” Eugene Dial, vice president for student affairs, said.
Dial said every university he knows of has some process in place to recognize outstanding graduates each year. He said most universities recognize the outstanding graduates for each college.
“Nicholls does it a little different in that we recognize the top one percent of the graduating class each year,” Dial said.
Nicholls first named students to its hall of Fame starting with the 1958 graduating class.
The process begins when nomination letters are sent out to all faculty, staff and student organizations who are asked to nominate the students they feel are truly the most outstanding graduates. According to Dial, 28 students were nominated this year.
“The faculty and staff don’t normally nominate someone who is just the average student. We don’t expect as many people to be nominated (for Hall of Fame) as compared with number of nominations for Who’s Who because we are just recognizing the outstanding seniors,” Dial said.
Each student who is nominated turns in a co-curricular transcript that’s evaluated by the committee. The committee is made up of the academic dean of each college, dean of student life, dean of student services, director of library and student representatives from each of those areas. The committee then meets, narrows it down and makes a recommendation to the president.
The selection is made based on two components. The first part of the criteria is academic performance in the classroom, which constitutes half of the selection process. The other half of the process involves evaluating the student’s contribution through leadership activities and service to the University and general community.
The president reviews it and makes the final decision. The president can select more or less than the committee sends.
“This year we ended up selecting 13 because there was a tie for the last slot and the president approved them all,” Dial said.
Each honoree was presented with a certificate and also will receive a seal on their diploma when they graduate.
“Students getting inducted into the Hall of Fame reflects both on the student and faculty of Nicholls,” Melissa Trosclair, honoree, said. Trosclair said she was very excited and honored especially because her bosses in the WAC lab writing center nominated her.
James Irwin, honoree, said it was very rewarding to be chosen, and it showed that all his involvement meant something for the university.
“You dedicate yourself so long to students and the University and getting recognition in the long run helps you know you made a difference,” he said.