Academic Achievement Committee names 2023 Honors & Awards recipients

Finlandia’s Academic Achievement Committee hosted the university’s annual Honors & Awards Ceremony on Friday. Friends, faculty and staff gathered in Martha Wiljanen Hall at FinnU’s Finnish American Heritage Center to celebrate the students selected to receive honors and awards.

The Sisu Award is given to graduating students who have shown courage, fortitude and perseverance in overcoming hardship to achieve academic and personal success. Brandon Hale and Elijah Emmer were the two recipients of this year’s Sisu Award.

Membership in the Sampo Society is awarded to graduating students whose academic success is the highest and most well-rounded. Recipients must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.7-4.0. They will have shown leadership, commitment, achievement, initiative, and involvement in the cultural and intellectual life of the campus and community. Receiving Sampo Society Membership were Delaney Anderson, Veronica Buchweitz, Brendan Christian, Allison Cooper, Austin Keranen, Kaitlyn Lundeen, Mary Mills, Sarah Moir, Laison Ruonavaara, Philip Schader and Joseph Watson.

Kaitlyn Lundeen, from Maple, Wisc., was named the 2023 Student Representative and will speak at the Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremony on behalf of the student body. Lundeen will graduate with Summa Cum Laude honors this spring with her associate degree in Physical Therapist Assistant and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Healthcare Management through Finlandia’s 2+2 degree offering. While studying at FinnU, Lundeen played for the Lions Women’s Basketball team, serving as captain and assistant coach.

A FULL LIST OF THOSE RECEIVING HONORS:

Cum Laude (3.5 – 3.699)

Bachelor’s Degree

• Tyler Hale
• Hillary Hantz
• Daisia Knowles
• Ella Lindgren
• Annie Miller
• Laison Ruonavaara
• Tyler Turcotte

Associate Degree

• Jacob Clark
• Jaron Hembroff
• Karla Lovell
• Peter Ordonio
• Larkyn Ripley
• Nathan Walerowicz

Magna Cum Laude (3.70 – 3.899)

Bachelor’s Degree

• Delaney Anderson
• Janie Berg
• Allison Cooper
• Seth Dahl
• Austin Keranen
• Sarah Moir
• Makenzie Phillips
• Casana Ryynanen
• Philip Schader
• Joseph Watson

Associate Degree

• Veronica Buchweitz
• Sofia De Ycaza
• Logan Latvis
• Shannon Mattson
• Gabriel Poirer
• Charles Ramirez
• Gavin Simonson
• Mary Wiggins

Summa Cum Laude (3.90 – 4.0)

Bachelor’s Degree

• Brendan Christian
• Brooke Dalgord
• Kaitlyn Lundeed
• Mary Mills
• Kylee Hopp

Associate Degree

• Stephanie Ollila
• Mitchell Kehn