Excellence in Leadership Awards

St. Cloud State students are leaders throughout the campus and community - in academics, campus activities, student employment, internships, volunteering, athletics, or in countless other places. Since 1988, the Excellence in Leadership Award has recognized students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership at SCSU based on an evaluation of their academic commitment and leadership experiences.

Students are considered for this honor by either being nominated by a faculty or staff or self nominating. Throughout the application process, students are considered to receive the top honor of the Dennis M. Thayer Award.

Important Dates

2026 Student Applications and Nomination period 
Closed

2026 Winners announced
March 25, 2026

38th Annual Excellence in Leadership Banquet 
Sunday, April 26, 2026

Abdukadir Abdullahi
Business Administration, MBA

Ayodele Ajayi
School Counseling, MS

Tarik Alduri
Political Science, BA
International Relations, BA

Darby Allen
Biomedical Science, BS
Pre-Medicine, BA

Dheraj Behram
Educational Administration and Leadership, MS

Cheyanne Bunnell
Entrepreneurship, BS
Statistics, BS

Renell Cooper
Construction Management, BS

Stephanie Dagg
Biomedical Sciences, BS
Spanish, BA

Anindya Das
Computer Science, BS

Muhammad Hashier Muneeb Farrukh
Engineering Management, MEM

Natalie Gneiser
Construction Management, BS

Raegan Lundblad
English Studies, BA
Communication Studies, BA
Pre-Law, BA

Abhilash Magi
Regulatory Affairs and Services, MS

Ben Misingo
Software Engineering, BSE

Avery Morton
Accounting, BS
Finance, BS

Bailey Noble
Nursing, BS

Eberechukwu Nwankwo
English Studies, MA

Jaelyn Owen
Communication Science and Disorders, MS

Paula Albala Prieto
Finance, BS

Hana Said
Business Management, BS
Communication Studies, BA
Political Science, BA

Claire Salzer
Biomedical Science, BA

Saharsha Reddy Singireddy
Regulatory Affairs and Services, MS

Jhaziel Tecsihua Tamariz
Marketing, BS
Information Systems, BS

Kanchan Thakur
Information Assurance, MS

Rohitha Velugubantla
Regulatory Affairs and Services, MS

The Dennis M. Thayer award is given annually to the top scoring student in the Excellence In Leadership application process. In addition to a small monetary award, the winner joins a distinguished group of alumni whose commitment to leading and serving others exemplifies the life of former St. Cloud State staff member Dennis Thayer, who was killed in an auto accident in 1995.

Recent Recipients

Eryn Bloom, Hydrology, Earth Sciences (Environmental Geology) (2025)
Larissa Marques, Information Assurance (2024)
Ashton Hobza, Marketing and Professional Selling Specialization (2023)
Claire Shea, Nursing with Biology minor (2022)
Emily Hacker, Information Systems and Management (2021)
Taylor Richards, Master of Social Work (2020) 
Kaushalya Nissanka, Mechanical Engineering (2019)