Two Herkimer College students receive SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence

Karris Leonard, of Ilion, NY, and Kyle Poulos, of Niagara Falls, NY, were among the Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence (CASE) honorees for 2023.

Karris Leonard ‘23, of Ilion, NY, receives the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence from Chancellor John B. King, Jr. Leonard is joined by Herkimer College President Cathleen C. McColgin, Ph.D.

The award recognizes students for outstanding achievements that have demonstrated the integration of SUNY excellence in areas such as academics, leadership, campus involvement, community service, or the arts. Both students will graduate in May 2023.

Karris Leonard, a psychology student, was named to the College’s President’s List for the Fall 2021 & Spring 2022 semesters and the Dean’s List for Fall 2022. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for two-year colleges. She is the recipient of the Herkimer County College Foundation HOPE Scholarship and is also enrolled in the College Honors Program.

Leonard serves as a student ambassador, peer tutor, a student member of the College’s Judicial Review Board, and a work-study student in the Center for Student Leadership & Involvement. She has also served as a volunteer for the College’s Students Thriving at Recovery (STAR) program, supporting students in recovery from substance use and abuse. She is working on completing an experiential learning project and implementing a community-based project in the final two honors courses of this spring semester.

Leonard successfully completed and received a CPE (Certified Peer Educator) certification as part of her student ambassador training. She also received Training for Intervention Procedures (TIPS) University certification. This training provides students with the skills they need to intervene with their peers in social situations to prevent alcohol-related incidents.

Kyle Poulos ‘23, of Niagara Falls, NY, receives the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence from Chancellor John B. King, Jr. Poulos is joined by Herkimer College President Cathleen C. McColgin, Ph.D.

Kyle Poulos, a criminal justice student, was named to the College’s President’s List for the Fall 2021, Spring 2022, and Fall 2022 semesters. He serves as the College Student Government president and student trustee. He is a member of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), an international honor society for two-year colleges, where he serves as chapter president for the 2022-2023 academic year. As part of PTK, Poulos led the chapter in completing both an award-winning Honors in Action project as well as a college project which helped the chapter earn a five-star status in 2022.

Poulos received four scholarships from Herkimer College: Cristman, Campus Safety, Hill, Marianne Panko, and the Fred & Faye Eichholzer scholarships. Poulos is also enrolled in the College’s Honors Program. He has completed an experiential learning project and will implement a community-based project for the program’s capstone course this spring semester.

Poulos has served as a resident assistant for three of his four semesters at Herkimer College. As the past president of Active Minds, an organization that raises awareness about and promotes mental wellness, he organized a “stress relief” event for students and raised awareness about services provided by our Counseling Center.