By Kathleen Weir

Ruth Jean, former student at Buffalo State College, won the Minnie and Joe Engel Student Humanitarian Award in 2004. Last year was the first time this award has been offered to students at Buffalo State , and it's back again for the Spring 2005 semester. The recipient will receive a monetary award of $2,500 and a plaque with his or her name on it.

The criteria for the Engel Award are:

•  Sophomore, junior, or senior enrolled full time (minimum 12 credit hours) at Buffalo State during the Spring 2005 semester.

•  Evidence of exemplary personal character and altruism.

•  Evidence of volunteer service on campus and within the larger community while a student at Buffalo State .

•  There is no minimum grade point average needed for this award.

According to Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Charles Kenyon only about 20 students applied for the award during the Spring 2004 semester out of more than about 5,800 eligible students. There was one winner of the plaque and cash award ( Ruth Jean ), and two runners-up for recognition ( Ronald Vasquez , Pamela Szefler ) but did not receive plaques or cash awards.

The winner is invited to a ceremony scheduled for April 29 according to Vice President of Residence Life and Auxiliary Services Timothy Ecklund . The ceremony will be in the Burchfield-Penney Art Center ( http://www.burchfield-penney.org/ ) where there is a reception for the Engel Award, the Mildred Campbell Award, and the Who's Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges. According to Kenyon, around 75-100 people attended the ceremony in 2004.

The Engel Award winner is carefully chosen by a committee of eight people that consists of faculty, staff and student representatives. The committee's main goal is to determine which candidate is demonstrating the most significant contribution, despite the similarities among them. Kenyon is a member of the committee and when asked about the process said, “It's a challenge.”

Applications are available online at http://www.buffalostate.edu/studentlife/x575.xml or can be found in many offices located on campus. The application and any other materials should be delivered to Kenyon in Cleveland Hall 513 by March 14 .

For more information on this and other scholarships and awards:

Buffalo State College Scholarship Office: http://www.buffalostate.edu/scholarship

Scholarship Search: http://www.scholarships.com

Application for Engel and other Leadership Awards : http://www.buffalostate.edu/studentlife/x575.xml

Kathleen Weir can be contacted at Weirka50@buffalostate.edu