2020 Students of Distinction Celebrated with Virtual Ceremony
Twenty students, who have distinguished themselves and are representative of the top scholars at Fullerton College have been recognized with a Students of Distinction virtual ceremony shared on June 3. The ceremony is typically held in late spring, just before Commencement, but due to the continued campus closure for Covid-19, Student Life and Leadership opted to celebrate the scholars in a virtual format.
The virtual ceremony also officially announced two students selected as the 2020 Students of the Year: Kayla Duchesneau and Brianne Healey Gutierrez.
“The college has been recognizing Students of Distinction for 63 years, so this year’s 20 honorees join a long tradition of outstanding students at Fullerton College,” said Director of Student Life and Leadership Naomi Abesamis.
The 40-minute virtual ceremony provided acknowledgments by campus leadership, students, professors and staff mentors, in much of the same fashion the traditional ceremony is presented. Many students expressed their gratitude to professors and mentors who helped them excel while at FC, while professors and mentors shared stories and praises of how students grew personally and academically throughout their time at the college.
“Bri is more brilliant than any Ph. D. or M.D., yet one of the most humble people I have ever met,” said English Professor Katie King, while speaking about Brianne Healey Gutierrez. “I know we’re living in somewhat scary times right now, but if someone like you is going into the medical field, then people like me don’t really have a lot to worry about.”
Gutierrez was recognized as a Student of Distinction in the Personal Achievement category as well as the Student of the Year. She will be participating in a clinical internship at a local hospital this summer before applying to nursing programs in the fall. Her ultimate goals include a career as a labor and delivery nurse, being a mom and playing the drums in an all-girl surf rock band.
Likewise, Kayla Duchesneau was recognized as the Student of the Year and a Student of Distinction in the Service Achievement category. Duchesneau spent three years as a tutor and mentor in the Hornets Tutoring program and Supplemental Instruction. She was also the founder and president of the S.O.B.E.R student club, which stands for strength, outreach, bravery, education and recovery. The club’s goal is to change the conversation around addiction and recovery and help students in recovery feel supported to achieve their dreams.
“I’ve been pleased to watch Kayla grow as a student and I’ve been most impressed with the way she didn’t just learn for herself and move on, but the way she consistently turned around to help other students find their way,” said English Professor Richard Levesque.
This year’s Students of Distinction represent a diverse student population including non-traditional students, international students, student-athletes and even one 15-year old student who began his journey at Fullerton College at the age of 12. The recipients are divided into four achievement categories: Academic, Competitive, Personal, and Service.
The recipients of the 2020 Students of Distinction are:
Academic Achievement
Daniel J. Eng
Safiyah Lakhany
Emily Nava
Duc Thanh Nguyen
Nathan Quirion
Competitive Achievement
Faiza Azizan
Kaelah Basurto
Lynzie Hinman
Harutyun Kejejyan
Alisa Toh-Heng
Personal Achievement
Adriana Benitez
Krista Ghazaleh
Stephanie Harchenko
Brianne Healey Gutierrez
Damone Alexander Rance
Service Achievement
Kayla Duchesneau
Caralee Ellis
Rebecca Mendiola
Kara Regan
Megan Woods
“To celebrate this year with you, through a video, is not what we wanted for you, but this is as close as we could come to providing a visual memory and celebration of all that you have accomplished as a Student of Distinction,” said Joe Carrithers, Professor and Faculty Advisor for Associated Students and Inter-Club Council.
Watch the complete virtual ceremony at https://fcgrads20.fullcoll.edu/students.html
