by Kat Friedmann

 

 

The DeKalb College/Georgia Perimeter College Alumni Association recently honored five individuals for their contributions to GPC’s tradition of excellence, their commitment to service and for going beyond their duties to make a significant difference at the college. This year’s alumni association award winners are:

 

 

Antonio Molina–Outstanding Alumnus of the Year, Recent Alum–Molina graduated from GPC in Spring 2011 and went on to Emory University to complete his bachelor’s degree in political science. Molina, a Navy veteran, always has had a love of service, but GPC helped it grow. During his time at GPC, he was the vice president of the Student Government Association and vice president of the History and Politics Club.

 

Molina continues to serve GPC by coaching students who compete in the Southeastern Regional Model Arab League and by participating in Career Day. When he’s not at work managing his father’s medical practice, he is the chairman of the Citizenship Initiative for the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials and is the legislative aide for State Rep. Pedro Marin.

 

“Antonio is the most self-effacing, tireless, productive student I have seen in my 14-plus years at GPC,” says Bob King, associate professor of Political Science. “Antonio is certainly academically gifted, but what makes him stand out far above his peers is his unrelenting quest to help others achieve their goals.

 

 

 

Ann Marie Hormeku–Outstanding Alumna of the Year, Emerging Leader–During the recent economic recession, Hormeku was laid off from her job as an office administrator for a heating and air conditioning company. The event prompted her to change directions, and she decided to attend GPC. Hormeku, a non-traditional student and English major, continues to attend GPC and is a member of several clubs, including the Spanish Club and The Gay-Straight Alliance. It was during a class project where she found her passion for educating students about unplanned pregnancy. This passion led her to become a certified peer counselor, speaking at numerous campus events about student retention issues involving family planning.

 

Hormeku has attended the Georgia Women’s Conference and the Annual Georgia Collegiate Honors Council Conference, advocating for the reduction of unplanned pregnancy among college students. Building on these experiences, she developed her leadership skills as the president of a new student organization, Students with Children (Jags and Cubs), which she founded as a way to support student parents.

 

Hormeku has made a strong impression on Tamra Ortgies Young, advisor to Jags and Cubs.

 

“She is committed, organized, creative, and passionate about everything she undertakes,” Ortgies says. “She never ceases to amaze me in the manner in which she juggles her family and educational responsibilities.

 

 

 

Sgt. Rodney Treadwell–Outstanding Staff of the Year–Treadwell begin his career of public safety and service in the Army, where he eventually retired as a sergeant major. After he retired from his military career, he worked locally as a MARTA police officer.

 

“Sgt. Treadwell is a credit to the profession he represents and the community that he serves,” says fellow GPC public safety officer Eric Aguiar. “He is the first one to report for duty and the last one to leave. He has been known to work on holidays so that his subordinates can enjoy their families.”

 

 

 

MaryAnn Errico, Outstanding Faculty of the Year–MaryAnn Errico is this year’s Outstanding Faculty of the Year. Errico, an English professor on the Dunwoody campus, was nominated by former student Danny Nguyen, who now attends the University of Georgia.

 

“Having Mrs. Errico as a professor was one of the biggest reasons that I got into the University of Georgia,” Nguyen says. “She prepped me before I went off to a bigger university, and she showed me how to encounter problems. One of the important lessons she taught me was how to accept failure. Accepting failure changed me as a person because it makes me work harder and have more confidence.”

 

 

Sarah Larson, Outstanding Retired Faculty of the Year–Larson joined the faculty of DeKalb College in 1978 and retired in 2004 as associate professor of English and department chair of Humanities on the Dunwoody Campus. During her tenure, Larson founded The Polishing Cloth, a magazine that publishes student essays and brings national attention to GPC students.

 

Since obtaining the status of professor emerita in 2004, Larson continues to be involved with GPC by planning national playwrights video conferences, which bring Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights to GPC via video conference.

 

Outside of GPC, Larson serves as the president of the Alliance Theatre Guild and the historic preservation chair of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

 

“As a professor, Sarah Larson had a tremendous impact on many students’ lives, both in terms of academic success and exposure to culture,” says Ted Wadley, English Department chair on the Dunwoody Campus. “More than a generation of alumni and current students have benefitted from her unflagging efforts and enthusiasm.”