Student receives leadership award

By Online Editor

Imagine if your job held a regional awards ceremony, now imagine out of the thousands of people who do your job you are called up unexpectedly to receive the award, That is what happened to Missouri Western Senior Luke Akers.

The National Orientation Directors Association Region IV Student Leadership Award is reserved for the best of the best and that is why this year it was given to Akers.

The award was announced at the region IV conference in February. The region encompasses Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas.

Along with the award Akers was given a plaque and a gift certificate for the Barnes and Nobles bookstore.

The core values NODA looks for are Community, Diversity, Integrity, Learning, Scholarship, Service.

Akers was one a handful of students nominated for this award from all over the region.

The decision to pick Akers was unanimous.

When Akers is not singing with his band Tequila Mockingbird, or working to get donations for the America’s Second Harvest of Greater St. Joseph’s Backpack Buddies program, he is working in the admissions office doing orientation and registrations.

Akers started working for Kristin Neely, the new student experience coordinator, his sophomore year.

Two weeks after being hired Akers attended his first NODA conference.

When Akers got back from the conference he could not stop talking about the things he had learned and how to implement them.

Orientation and registration was revamped about two years ago so Akers had to come in and start from scratch.

Using what he had learned, Akers dove right in and along with Neely applied these changes to the department that helped it move from a two day process to a single day.

Akers was thankful to the school and Neely for his chance to get this award.

“Kristin and this school gave me this opportunity,” Akers said. “This school treats you like an adult.”

Akers also looks forward to the opportunities he will have after graduating.

“I can always get a job in orientation,” Akers said. “This is my passion.”

Neely nominated Akers for the award this year and she had good reason.

Even if he had not won, the nomination was a way for Neely to say thank you for all his hard work and dedication.

“I can sum Luke up in one word,” Neely said. “Inspiring.”

Neely describes Akers as the sort of person who would talk to an incoming freshman the same way he would talk to the president of the university.

“He is very humble,” Neely said. “When he heard he had won the gift certificate he decided he would get his mom a sweatshirt.”

Akers was so impressed by the conference that he lobbied for more students to be able to attend the conference this year, and he got his wish, two more students attended this year.

Tyson Schank the associate director of admissions was pleased to hear that Akers had been given this award.

“He is very deserving of it,” Schank said. “He has such great creativity.”

Kristin Weyman who is the awards committee chairperson admires that Akers has creativity, energy, enthusiasm and outstanding abilities.

“This award is designed to give special recognition to students,” Weyman said. “These are the backbone of successful and dynamic orientation programs.”

Akers job is usually performed by a staff of eight people, but he manages to get it done all by himself.