April 13, 2000

VITERBO STUDENT EDUCATION GROUP RECEIVES HIGH HONORS AT STATE MEETING

LA CROSSE, Wis.—The Viterbo chapter of the Student Wisconsin Education Association (StWEA) captured two top awards at the 1999-00 Annual Awards Luncheon in Madison on Saturday, April 1.

The "Outstanding Chapter Excellence Award" is the highest honor a StWEA chapter can receive.  It’s given to chapters that display excellence in programming and that provide opportunities for leadership and professional growth to members. Since its chapter has 40 members, Viterbo received the award designated for a chapter with 75 or fewer members. Only one other chapter, with membership at more than 75 members, received the honor.

Viterbo’s StWEA chapter also received the "Outstanding Chapter National Education CLASS Project Award" for its grant-funded Safe Trick-or-Treat Project that allows community children to trick-or-treat on the Viterbo campus at Halloween. The award encourages and supports StWEA student members in reaching out and involving themselves and their universities and colleges in the local community.

"The awards mean that our chapter has accomplished a lot in the past year and had the most outstanding project compared to the 22 other colleges/universities throughout the state of Wisconsin that are part of this group," said Christi Graber, president of Viterbo’s chapter of the StWEA. "We were also thrilled to be recognized as an outstanding chapter. It’s nice to be noticed for all of the hard work we’ve done," she added.

Four student delegates and one observer attended this year’s StWEA awards luncheon. They are: Jenny Hale,  senior, Public Relations Coordinator/Delegate; Sarah Schulz, senior, Vice President/Delegate; Christi Graber, senior, President/Delegate; Cory Olson, senior, Member/Delegate; and Sarah J. Olson, sophomore, President-Elect/Observer.