Terra State announces winners of student recognition awards
Terra State Community College announced the winners of the 2020 – 2021 student recognition awards during Commencement ceremonies on May 7.
Winners were recognized at each of the three ceremonies. Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Services Garien Hudson presented each with their award at the ceremony the student attended. Categories and winners are:
Fremont Rotary Student of the Year – Tatiyana Welch graduated from Terra State this May with her Associate of Arts, focusing her classes in education. She was recognized as student of the month in December 2020. Outside of classes, Welch worked as a front desk attendant with Campus Security. She has volunteered as a poll worker during the election, helped with park clean up, assisted children during pumpkin picking and is a part of a writing mentorship program. Welch will continue her education at Bowling Green State University to earn her bachelor’s degree and become certified in TEFL/TESOL (teaching English as a foreign language) at an academy dedicated to the certification.
Leadership Award – Thomas Gluth, a manufacturing engineering student, strengthened his leadership skills through the Early College program at Fremont Ross High School and Phi Theta Kappa. He will graduate from Fremont Ross High School as valedictorian in June. As the public relations and community service officer for Phi Theta Kappa, he led the idea of using the disc golf course in Fremont as their event site for PTK’s community fundraiser. The Morrison House in Tiffin received this year’s donations. Gluth also participated in volunteer activities through Fremont Ross, including student council, Fremont Rotary club and LINK. He juggles school, volunteer efforts and his part-time job at the Depot.
Perseverance Award – Danielle Soals and Tatiyana Welch. Soals began her education at Terra State in 2010, but was overwhelmed by competing responsibilities as a recently single new mother living on her own and dropped out. In 2017, she reapplied and continued strong; but then in 2019, the tragic loss of her only brother in a horrific car accident threatened to derail her efforts. Soals credits Terra State’s caring instructors with supporting her through this period. Her final hurdle was COVID-19, which made it impossible to complete her internship. However, Terra State’s student support efforts during the pandemic culminated in Soals finishing the spring semester strong and earning her associate degree in Criminal Justice Technology.
Tatiyana Welch’s Terra State story begins in 2017, during a period in which her health required her to go in and out of hospitals. Even so, she managed to juggle jobs and continue to attend school part time, only stopping out for one semester, after which she maintained her motivation to continue her education – refusing to let even a global pandemic stop her from achieving her degree.
2020 - 2021 Student Commencement Speaker – Jessica Braden, an accounting student, served the College as a student employee in the Casher’s office and as an accounting tutor in the Academic Services Center and at Bellevue City Schools. Braden believes that it is important when she sees a classmate struggling with coursework or in life, to encourage them and help them if they need someone to talk to or could use someone to motivate them. She will continue her studies at Tiffin University this fall to receive her bachelor’s degree in accounting.
Student Organization of the Year – Terra State’s Medical Assisting Student Organization (MASO) has positively impacted its members and community this past year. MASO has collected and donated items for the Sandusky County Food Bank, Sandusky County Humane Society and Sandusky County Dog Warden. The students also raffled off prizes to raise funds for their pinning ceremony.