Wayne Community College held its 17th annual Student Recognition Ceremony to honor its top students of the 2024–2025 academic year. During the event, 105 students were recognized.
Outstanding Student Curriculum Awards
Each year, WCC faculty members select one student from their degree and diploma programs whose academic accomplishments best represent that program. Those students receive Outstanding Student Curriculum Awards.
Following are the students honored with Outstanding Student Curriculum Awards and the program recognizing them.
Allied Health and Public Services Division
Ericka Farrior, Associate Degree Nursing
Mae Adams, Dental Assisting
Alana Reeves, Dental Hygiene
Stephanie D. Forsythe, Early Childhood Education
Janis Batts, Human Services Technology
Hellen Mullins, Medical Assisting
Damina Young, Medical Laboratory Technology
Zaida Hinnant, Practical Nursing
Applied Technologies Division
Anderson Rouse, Agribusiness Technology
Joel Aguillon, Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology
Leeann Powell, Applied Animal Science Technology
Kevin Fulcher, Automotive Systems – General Motors Automotive Service Education Program
Nolan Sampson, Automotive Systems – Automotive Technical Education Program
Keonte Sidbury, Aviation Systems Technology
Shani Booker, Business Administration/Operations Management
Devin Newsome, Collision Repair and Refinishing Technology
Jacob Mooring, Computer-Integrated Machining
David Scott, Forest Management Technology
Derrick Whitman, Industrial Systems Technology
Anthony Garcia, Mechanical Engineering Technology
Charles Faison, Mechatronics Engineering Technology
Devante Mason, Sustainable Agriculture
Jacob Suggs, Turfgrass Management Technology
Caleb Ramirez, Welding Technology
Arts and Sciences Division
Samantha Macklin, Associate in Arts
Sommer Howard, Associate in Arts in Teacher Preparation
Jacob B. Shaver, Associate in Science
Business and Computer Technologies Division
Michael Hines, Accounting and Finance
Joe Butler, Artificial Intelligence Engineer
Karina Lopez, Business Administration
Victor Cervantes, Cybersecurity
Anthony Jardine, Entertainment Technologies
James Moore, Game Art and Animation
Okey Dutton, Game and Automation Programming
Carl Outlaw, IT Business Support and Services
Andrea Sabillon Garcia, Medical Office Administration
Amanda Schwartz, Office Administration
Mikayla Strickland, Risk Management and Insurance
Juan Medrano, Software Development
Public Safety Division
Jessica Byrd, Criminal Justice Technology
Amani McClellan, Criminal Justice Technology/Forensic Science
Aaron Miller, Emergency Management
Rheanna Bunker, Emergency Medical Science
Academic Excellence Award
The Academic Excellence Award recognizes a student based on not only academic achievement but also community service and leadership activities.
Academic Excellence Award Winner
Keonte Sidbury
Honors Program
The Honors Program of Wayne Community College focuses on academics, leadership, and service as integral components of a well-rounded education. Students must have a 3.5 GPA to be admitted to the program and must maintain a 3.2 GPA to continue the course of study.
Following are the students in WCC’s Honors Program for 2025.
Allison Courtney Bolduc
Gabriella Hope Carrasquillo
Dwayne Cottman
Savana Grace Daniels
Bob Wilson Hines, Jr.
Ty Alexander Johnson
Katie Lange
Amilcar Lopez Escalante, Jr.
Samantha Jean Macklin
Linda Celeste Ponce
Cinthya Xivir Perez
Phi Theta Kappa Awards
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) is an internationally recognized honor society serving students in nearly 1,250 chapters around the world. Phi Theta Kappa’s mission is to recognize and encourage academic achievement of two-year college students and to provide opportunities for individual growth and development through participation in honors, leadership, service, and fellowship activities.
The Phi Theta Kappa Golden Opportunity Scholarship recognizes the scholastic achievements of eligible PTK members and helps offset the cost of membership. As a Phi Theta Kappa Golden Opportunity Scholar, the following students received a scholarship waiver to cover the international and regional fees of membership into the organization.
PTK Golden Opportunity Scholarship Recipients
Shanequa Edwards
Miranda Jones
The Bison Opportunity Scholarship recognizes the scholastic achievements of eligible members of WCC’s Upsilon Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa and helps offset the cost of membership. As a Bison Opportunity Scholar, the following students received a scholarship waiver to cover the international and regional fees of membership into the organization.
Bison Opportunity Scholarship Recipients
Stephanie Alvarez
Logan Brock
Brandi Melvin
Youdelie Bastien
Rachel Bonafede
Maribella Campos Aguirre
Anna McLamb-Gallegos
Trevor Reynolds
Scholars of Global Distinction
The Scholars of Global Distinction program at Wayne Community College is a partnership with UNC World View. Students complete at least 15 credit hours of globally intensive courses, participate in eight international activities and dialogues, gain 30 hours of global experience in a study abroad or domestic intercultural experience, and complete a capstone presentation related to their global learning experience.
Following are students who will earn their Scholars of Global Distinction Certificate in the Spring ’25 semester.
Gabriella Carrasquillo
Edith Pinon
Yuri Ponce
Cailyn Radford
Kitty Wang
Work-Based Learning Student of the Year Award
The Work-Based Learning Student of the Year Award was created to recognize students who have demonstrated extra effort and achievement in their Work-Based Learning experience. In addition to a superior work ethic and a strong command of employability skills, this year’s recipient has demonstrated innovation and a passion for their field of study.
Work-Based Learning Student of the Year Award Recipient
Cesar Diaz
Student Government Association
The 2024–2025 Student Government Association Officers were recognized for their leadership and service to the College and student body.
President: Mario Lopez
Vice President: Hannah Rhodes
Secretary: Oscar Lugo
Student Club and Organization Awards
Several clubs and organizations on campus were recognized for their achievements.
Wayne Community College Ambassadors are an honorary group of students who were nominated by faculty and staff to represent the College at special events on campus and within the community for one academic year. These students maintained a 3.0 GPA or higher and full-time status for the whole year.
2024–2025 Wayne Community College Ambassadors
Gabriella Carrasquillo
Michael Dylan Pate
Cinthya Perez
Karrigann Rhodes
William Cole Tisdale
Each spring, campus clubs submit a Presidential Report to the Student Government Association to become eligible for the Presidential Club Award. In the report are campus fundraisers, on- and off-campus service learning projects along with community and campus events that each club participated in throughout the year.
Reports are reviewed by the Student Government Association officers, and winners were chosen based on their service to the College as well as the community.
Student Government Association Presidential Club Award Recipients
1st Place: WCC Multicultural Club
2nd Place: WCC Science Club
3rd Place: Wayne Community College Association of Nursing Students (WCCANS)
Dallas Herring Achievement Award
The Dallas Herring Achievement Award recognizes a student who embodies the philosophy of Dr. Herring, one of the fathers of the community college system. The winner of the College’s award became WCC’s nominee for the award at the state level.
Dallas Herring Achievement Award Winner
Brittany Bell
Renaissance Awards
Renaissance is WCC’s annual creative arts magazine for campus writers and artists. The publication features students’ creative work, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction essays, and visual art in various media.
Each year, Renaissance recognizes student artists and writers who contributed the images selected for the publication covers, one artist whose work merited special recognition, and the writers who submitted the best poetry and prose.
Renaissance Cover Award Recipients
Arianna Trent
Nicole Robertson
Renaissance Art Award Recipient
Justin Oakley
Renaissance Poetry Award Recipient
Evan Anderson
Renaissance Prose Award Recipient
Mary Truhan
The Beatrice K. Balkcum Renaissance Literary Award was established to honor the life of Beatrice K. Balkcum, her contribution to the Goldsboro community, and her love for the written word. Balkcum taught English at Goldsboro High School for 15 years before teaching at WCC for an additional 20 years. After retirement, Balkcum continued to serve the College on the board of trustees for several years.
This award gifts $1,000 to a college transfer student and emerging writer whose work is selected by the Renaissance editors as the most outstanding piece of writing in the magazine.
Beatrice K. Balkcum Renaissance Literary Award Recipient
Mary Truhan
Who’s Who among Students at Wayne Community College
Who’s Who is a local chapter that honors WCC’s leading students for their academic excellence and the contributions they make to the College and community. Only one percent of the students who attend WCC are selected for this honor annually.
Alex Aycock
Gregory Bryan Bass
Michael Bloom
Logan Brock
Jessica Byrd
Lizeth Camarena
Clarissa Castrogiovanni
Gabriella Carrasquillo
Jeannine Cone
Abigail Cox
Abdullah Fadah
Lee Haskins
Laurie Huerta
Ty Johnson
Scarlett Joyner
Shayla Lassiter
Macy Lopez
Mario Lopez
Nora Lopez
Oscar Lugo
Amani McClellan
Ashlyn McRoy
Juan Medrano
Brandi Melvin
Samantha Monson
Michael Dylan Pate
Cinthya Perez
Hannah Rhodes
Karrigann Rhodes
Owen Richardson
Brandon Roa
Casey Sasser
Jacob Shaver
Keonte Sidbury
Shannon Smith
Landon Stevens
Jacob Stoner
William Cole Tisdale
Arianna Trent
Karen Velasquez Gonzalez
Octavia Williams
Mercedes Wooten
About Wayne Community College
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves around 10,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 150 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves.