Northampton Community College recognized students for their outstanding academic achievement and community leadership at a ceremony at the College’s Lipkin Theatre on April 24.

The event began with a beautiful rendition of “America the Beautiful” by Gail Winterburn (pictured left), accompanied on the piano by Mario Acerra, professor of communications/theatre.

Dr. Michael J. McGovern, vice president, academic affairs, described the awardees as NCC’s best and brightest and the hope for the future. He praised their academic achievements, saying he was proud of what they’d accomplished. He also congratulated the students’ families and faculty, who made the students’ success possible.

Annie Laurie Meyers, associate professor, business and office administration, recognized the hard work and long hours expended by students who often had work and family responsibilities on top of their academic ones. Calling the awardees “our heroes, our inspiration,” she said that inspiration gives a gift to each party—the inspired and the one giving inspiration. She attributed the awardees’ success to motivation, determination and a positive outlook. “I hope you will find your passion and live it,” she said, in a life chosen for the love of it.

Daytona Simpson, the recipient of this year’s prestigious Trustee’s Leadership Award and a paralegal major, gave the student address. In it, she described the doors NCC opened to her. At the end of an abusive marriage, she decided to not look back but to move ahead. She chose to enter the door of opportunity NCC offered her. “Fear pushed me back like a mighty wind,” she remembered of her arrival on campus. “But my spirit pushed me forward.”

^{Daytona Simpson (left) pictured with Sharon DiSipio, the 2005 Trustee Leadership Award winner.}


She found that she walked through many doors, leading to numerous cherished friends--whose names she called out—students, professors, staff members. In 2007 another life-changing door opened when she joined the student leadership program. “I became transformed,” she said. “I was like a sponge, absorbing everything. I learned that the essence of leadership is being genuine, in having a desire to serve others.”

Simpson will continue her education as a pre-law student at Moravian College and plans to go from there to law school.

Concluding the ceremony, President Arthur Scott told the awardees that they are “poised to do wonderful things; the best is yet to come.”

Awardees included:

Daytona Simpson - Trustee Leadership Award

Christyann Brown Drs. Edward and Arnold R. Cook Award for Excellence in Dental Hygiene

Sherri DeFrain - Hites Foundation Scholarship Endowment

Kelsey Fisher - Criminal Justice Club Academic Achievement Award

Jennie Frey - Lehigh & Northampton Association for the Education of Young Children Award

Seth Gahman - Mathematics Award

Chantelle Gendron (pictured left with Mario Acerra)  - Marconi Award for Radio/TV

Joan Harris - Bethlehem Junior Women’s Club Nursing Award; Easton Hospital Women’s Board

Anthony Kane - Funeral Service Education Student of the Year

Donald Lear - Just Born Business Award

Eric Lieberman - Electrical Construction Technology Award

Elizabeth Muller (pictured right) - Monroe County Association for the Education of Young Children Award

Laura Mounts (pictured left with Tom Shillea and family members) - Gregory Purdon Award for Excellence in Art

Katherine Nichols - Hites Foundation Scholarship Endowment

Abigail Parker - Northampton Community College Theatre Scholarship Fund Award

Kent Quain - Northampton Community College Theatre Scholarship Fund Award

Ronald Richebacher - Addison Wesley-Benjamin Cummings Biology Award

Kirstin Taylor - Pennsylvania Funeral Director’s Award

Shane Townsend (pictured with Ron Heneghan and fellow theatre awardees Abigail Parker and Kent Quain)- Northampton Community College Theatre Scholarship Fund Award

Marlo Waldrop - Drs. Edward and Arnold R. Cook Award for Excellence in Dental Hygiene

Paula Weiland - Institute of Management Accounting Award

Mary Wertman-Grqui - Liberal Arts Award

Gail Winterburn - Northampton County Bar Association Award

Michele Yevelson - Easton Hospital Women’s Board & Academic Achievement Award