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2021 Student, Alumni and Student Organization Award Winners

By Amy Everson
Senior Manager, Student and Alumni Affairs

Congratulations to all of our 2021 student organization, academic scholar, alumni and President’s Award winners! We are proud of you for the significant contributions you have made to your community and the university. We honor all of these organizations and individuals for their distinguished service, merit, and unwavering commitment to helping others.

Outstanding Campus Leader Award: Greg Comiskey, Nina Rivera-Nunez and Hannah Via

The 2021 recipients of the Outstanding Student Organization Leadership Award are Greg Comiskey, Nina Rivera-Nunez and Hannah Via. This award recognizes student leaders who have contributed significantly to an organization, going above and beyond to engage members.

Greg Comiskey

Greg Comiskey

After 17 ½ years of service, Greg Comiskey retired from the U.S. Army in October 2013 with the rank of First Sergeant. He served as a Scout in Light Cavalry and Airborne units, deploying twice to Iraq (2003-2004 and 2008-2009). He received a Purple Heart in 2003 and the Bronze Star in 2009.

After his retirement, Greg found that he still wanted to serve. The same year that Greg retired, he graduated from American Military University with a bachelor’s in history, magna cum laude. He decided to coach, teach and mentor youth in Columbus, Georgia.

Greg earned his teaching certificate in secondary education (social studies) and went back to American Military University, graduating with a master of public administration cum laude in June 2019. He now teaches government, U.S. history and world history to high school students at a local Title I inner-city school.

Greg has remained committed and active in the university community. He became Vice President of the Newman Center in 2017 and helped to co-found a Newman Center sub-group, the Tackling Human Trafficking team. He has personally led many Newman Center initiatives, including a pro-life focus, a study on C.S. Lewis’ “The Problem of Pain,” and a book study on Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen during Lent 2020. He is also a member of two other student organizations, Saber and Scroll and the Historical Studies Honor Society.

Greg is very active in his faith, where he is a sponsor of the local pro-life women’s resource center, Seneca Choices for Life, and his wife’s new pro-life ministry, The Pelican Project. He is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus, a Lay Dominican, a member of the Confraternities of St. Peter and the Most Holy Rosary, a member of the Saint Anne’s Catholic Church Prison Ministry and a proud disabled veteran.

Nina Rivera-Nunez

Nina Rivera-Nunez

Nina Rivera-Nunez graduated from American Military University (AMU) with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2014. Her strong interest in history led her to return to AMU for her master’s in history; she graduated in 2018 with a GPA of 3.78. Currently, Nina is enrolled at AMU, pursuing her MBA in entrepreneurship. She plans to graduate in 2022.

Nina’s interest in ancient history began as a child and continued through her adulthood. History plays such a significant role in Nina’s life that she named her daughter after one of her favorite ancient Egyptian figures, Isis. Nina aspires to use her education to teach history as well as open her own cosmetics company.

Hannah Via

Hannah Via

Hannah Via is a psychology student at American Public University, who plans to finish her degree in August 2021. Hannah has served in a variety of positions within university student organizations. For instance, she is the current President of the Jewish Student Association, the V.P. of Golden Key and Sociology at Work, the Service Director for the Psychology Club and Active Minds, and the previous Social Media Officer for the Model UN Club.

In addition, Hannah is a University Ambassador and a Clearpath mentor. She is also a member of Pi Gamma Mu, the National Society for Collegiate Leadership, the National Society for Collegiate Scholars, and the Democratic Society. Outside of school, Hannah serves as a member of the leadership team at her summer camp, Camp Young Judea Texas (CYJ TX), where she has been a counselor and archery specialist. She plans to return to CYJ TX this summer as a mental health care intern.

Hannah has been an intern with the Foundation for Jewish Camp and the Gift of Life Marrow Bone Marrow Registry and has served as a volunteer for Still Bisexual. Upon completing her undergraduate degree, Hannah plans to attend graduate school to obtain a Ph.D. in either marriage and family therapy or mental health counseling. Her long-term goal is to work in the Jewish world, offering training on mental health, social justice, and child development to schools, camps, and daycare centers.

Chapter Advisor of the Year Award: Cecelia DeSilva Selbrede

This university award is presented to an individual who sets a high standard and provides exemplary service to the organization they serve and its leadership team.

Cecilia DeSilva Selbrede

Cecilia DeSilva Selbrede received her bachelor’s degree in biology cum laude from Temple University in 1987 and her Juris Doctorate from Rutgers University – School of Law in 1990. She is admitted to practice law in the Pennsylvania, Washington State and Virginia.

Cecilia has been a Legal Studies faculty member since 2008. Along with primary advisor James Barney, she has been a co-advisor for Phi Alpha Delta (PAD), an international law fraternity, for the last two and a half years. She was awarded The Dr. Charles J. Fleener Outstanding Pre-Law Advisor Award for the 2019-2020 school year by PAD.

Recently, Cecilia became a co-advisor for the Military Spouses Club with primary advisor Kerry Erisman. These clubs provide her the opportunity to work with students on a different plane. The reward is becoming familiar with their strengths and encouraging students to pursue their academic goals and dreams.

Cecilia enjoys litigation and has worked in several fields due to geographical moves necessitated by her husband’s military duties. She was a prosecuting attorney, practiced insurance defense, represented indigent parents in child custody cases, and had the privilege of working/volunteering with Navy Judge Advocate General officers in the criminal defense section at Pearl Harbor.

Chapter of the Year Award: R.E.A.D. Book Club

The Chapter of the Year Award recognizes an organization that has exemplified outstanding achievements in leadership, engagement, service, and commemoration.

The R.E.A.D. Book Club aims to unite the student and alumni body through reading and foster community through the discussion of various literary topics. Initially chartered in 2013, the R.E.A.D. Book Club has grown to nearly 700 members under the guidance of faculty advisors Natascha Gast and Beth Driver.

Recent highlights of the R.E.A.D. Book Club include:

  • Hosting 12 book discussions, including three guest speakers who are published authors — Alex Westmore, David Becker and Paullett Golden
  • Hosting a virtual book drive for Better World Books, an organization that provides books to those in need
  • Coordinating monthly Charity of Choice initiatives to bring awareness to charities related to the monthly book topic, including Room to Read, United through Reading, Disabled American Veterans and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
  • Sponsoring a National Day of Service Project, “Random Acts of Reading,” which encouraged members to donate a book to a Free Little Library or completing a LibriVox recording
  • Leading a Lunch and Learn on “Reading for Comprehension and Speed”
  • Publishing monthly newsletters to promote member engagement by sharing academic, personal, and professional achievements

R.E.A.D. President Kathryn Hill also served as a panelist at the 2020 Campus Leadership Institute President’s Panel.

Outstanding New Student Organization of the Year Award: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

The Outstanding New Organization Award recognizes a newly created organization that has established a positive presence at the university and has collaborated with other student organizations or university departments to ensure they have a firm foundation for their chapter.

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is dedicated to shaping the future of aerospace within the university. Chartered in January 2020, our chapter was the first fully online chapter of AIAA. The chapter advisors for AIAA are Dr. Marvine Hamner and Dr. Kristen Miller.

Recent highlights of AIAA’s activities include:

  • Hosting two guest speakers: Space Studies faculty member Professor Diallo Wallace and Mr. Ravi Deepak of the Taksha Institute for the Center of Medical Disaster Management
  • Implementing an active research initiative to track and analyze the orbital positions of Near Earth Objects (such as asteroids and satellites) using the MatLab software program
  • Launching an initiative to send a team of university students to participate in the Mars Desert Research Station program
  • Developing a research program to study the properties of bioluminescent organisms as a fuel source for space travel; this project will utilize resources on the International Space Station to perform the testing phase of the experiment

Alumni Service Award: Darrin Donovan

alumni service award
Darrin Donovan

Darrin Donovan graduated from American Military University with a bachelor’s in religion in 2011. He completed 39 of his semester hours while stationed abroad in Turkey, Israel, Japan and the Netherland Antilles.

Darrin has served in the United States Air Force since September 1999 in roles ranging from presidential security to operations superintendent. He has been assigned to Osan AB in South Korea; Andrews AFB in Maryland; Izmir AB in Turkey, Yokota AB in Japan, Schriever AFB in Colorado, Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina, and Goodfellow AFB in Texas.

Darrin is currently deployed to Afghanistan as the Security Forces Senior Enlisted Leader supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and the NATO Resolute Support mission.

Distinguished Graduate Award: Hwal Lee

Hwal Lee

Hwal is a community health physician’s assistant, University Ambassador and mental health advocate. Hwal earned his bachelor of science in sports and health sciences from APU in 2017 with a 4.0 GPA and received the Undergraduate President’s Award.

He is deeply passionate about helping others and wears many different volunteer hats. Hwal is a dual-certified adult and youth mental health first aid instructor, Virginia state-certified lay rescuer trainer for REVIVE! Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Education program, a crisis counselor for the Crisis Text Line, and an American Foundation for Suicide Prevention-trained presenter for Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention.

Hwal’s volunteer activities have reached more than 1,000 community members across the country, and he considers community service his lifelong hobby. His experience as a former middle school dropout, who encountered challenges accessing higher education, created an enduring hunger for learning and passion for service at a young age. He is fully committed to using his education to help others who may not have access to resources.

This year, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Health Service Corps Scholar, Hwal relocated to a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area for postgraduate medical practice. He is honored to serve underprivileged and vulnerable community members through compassionate, trauma-informed, and person-centered integrated primary health care.

Academic Scholar Awards

Seven graduates from the class of 2021 received the Academic Scholar Award for their superior academic achievements in earning a degree. They exhibited high levels of engagement and rapport with instructors and peers, had consistent participation in discussion forums, showed leadership in the classroom, and maintained a high grade point average throughout their programs.

This year’s award winners are:

  • Janine Werling, Undergraduate, Wallace E. Boston School of Business
  • Lacy Razor, Undergraduate, School of Health Sciences
  • Theodore Atcherson III, Undergraduate, School of Security and Global Studies
  • Catrine Giery, Graduate, School of Arts, Humanities, and Education
  • Victoria Hughes, Graduate, Wallace E. Boston School of Business
  • Christine Hohl, Graduate, School of Health Sciences
  • Kimberly Kershner, Graduate, School of Security and Global Studies

Mary Kim Ward Resilience and Service Award

mary kim ward resilience and service award
Stephanie Duenas

The Mary Kim Ward Resilience and Service Award recognizes resilience, patience, and determination and a student’s impact and influence on public service, social justice, and inclusion. This year, the award went to Stephanie Duenas.

Stephanie is a first-generation Latina, born to immigrant parents who arrived in the United States in the hopes of giving their children an opportunity to achieve the ‘American dream.’ Inspired by the stories of her parents, along with the support of her spouse and parents-in-law, Stephanie sought to continue her education to assist others in need of mental health.

While pursuing her master’s degree through American Military University, Stephanie battled cancer and overcame a miscarriage, experiences that provided her with in-depth compassion and empathy toward clients who had suffered similar experiences. She also served in a victim’s domestic and sexual assault center in Nebraska. A year later, she assisted a case manager for a child welfare agency with the state of Nebraska.

In February 2021, Stephanie completed her master’s in psychology from American Military University, graduating with a GPA of 3.74. As a military spouse, her interest in the mental health of the armed services has grown significantly. Moving from different duty stations allowed her to not only observe the difference in cultures, but also interact with others to determine needs within the military community.

Utilizing her experiences from the civilian sector, Stephanie focused her academic and professional career on studying holistic therapies to meet the mental health needs of the armed forces. As a mental health advocate, she aspires to build an effective partnership with leaders of the armed forces and mental health providers by joining the Department of Defense.

President’s Award

The President’s Award recognizes two graduating students, one undergraduate and one graduate, who have distinguished themselves academically and made significant contributions to their nation and/or their community. The award recognizes their commitment to service, scholastic achievement, outstanding character and leadership.

Jeffrey Davis (graduate award) and Marc Heuermann (undergraduate award) are the winners of this year’s President’s Award.

Jeffrey Davis

Jeffrey Davis

Captain Jeffery K. Davis is a Security Forces Officer assigned to the 56th Security Forces Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. After serving in Germany and Austria as a missionary, Captain Davis enrolled in Utah State University in 2009, graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in German. 

Jeffrey also enrolled in the university’s Air Force ROTC program with the ambition of serving as an officer in the Air Force. He earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant in 2013 and entered active duty at Francis E. Warren AFB in Wyoming. Later, Jeffery began Security Forces Technical Training in 2014 at Camp Bullis in Texas. Upon graduation, he returned to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base as a flight commander in the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron. 

In April 2015, Jeffrey was selected as the Officer-In-Charge of the Tactical Response Force and the Convoy Commander for nuclear weapon movements. In December 2015, he was chosen as the Executive Officer for the 90th Security Forces Group and assigned to the 435th Security Forces Squadron in October 2016. He currently served as the Operations Officer responsible for open-the-base operations throughout EUCOM and AFRICOM and Europe’s Regional Training Center. 

In January 2018, Jeffrey was selected to serve on Higher Headquarters Staff in Europe, where he led emergent security operations and mission assurance across two continents.  In July 2020, Captain Davis was assigned to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. He currently serves as the Operations Officer, overseeing 187 personnel, base criminal investigations, security, police services, and integration with civilian police units. 

His military awards include the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal, the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon with service star, the Air Force Training Ribbon, the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge (Gold), the Basic Parachutist Badge, and the Air Assault Badge. 

Jeffrey graduated with a 4.0 GPA from American Military University in October 2020. He holds a master’s degree in management with an emphasis in organizational leadership.

Marc Heuermann

Marc Heuermann

Marc Heuermann is a 25-year Air Force and Air National Guard combat veteran, retired at the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. After retiring from the Air National Guard, Marc was the CEO of HSH Enterprises, managing a multi-store retail franchise and multi-unit rental properties. Marc is currently contracting for Caterpillar, Inc., as an electrical engineer.

Marc is involved in his community as a FIRST Robotics mentor for Washington Community High School and is currently serving a six-year term as Washington Park District Commissioner.

Marc is currently pursuing his MBA at American Military University. Some of his noteworthy accomplishments are winning the 2013 RadioShack Franchisee of the Year, being the second youngest to be promoted to Chief Master Sergeant in the Illinois Air National Guard and becoming the only Air National Guard member called back to aircrew service after retirement.

Amy Everson is the Senior Manager in the Student and Alumni Affairs Department. She holds a bachelor of science in agribusiness/agricultural operations from West Virginia University, a master of science in environmental policy and management from American Public University, and a master of education (Student Affairs) from American Public University.

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