Two students named “extraordinary”

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

Jamie Bauerle, a junior in Family and Consumer Sciences Education, and Lanita McGee, a senior in Dietetics Counseling, received Extraordinary Student Awards Thursday night at a banquet in the Student Union.

The awards honor students who have overcome obstacles to succeed in their educational pursuits.

Jamie has always been a successful student. She graduated from Hiawatha High School with a 3.995 GPA. At K-State, the junior has earned a 3.961.

During her high school years, trauma ripped through her family. Her parents divorced. Her mother became sole support of her daughters.

The ordeal took a harsh and lasting toll, but Jamie learned resilience. She stayed focused as she graduated and enrolled at K-State.

Jamie has remained strong and studious. She is self-supporting and works as a student tutor and mentor. She serves as president of Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society and is one of two students in the nation to serve on the organization’s national board. She majors in Family and Consumer Sciences Education and minors in Leadership Studies.

Jamie became an advocate. She works with Wildcats Against Rape where she helps women remove themselves from and recover from bad situations. She is active in the campus Healthy Decision Initiative Campaign.

Lanita is a distance student who lives in Cincinnati. Working toward a second bachelor’s degree, she hopes to become a registered dietitian specializing in gerontological or oncological nutrition.

Lanita has Neurofibromatosis Type 2, an inherited condition that causes reoccurring brain tumors. She has undergone eight brain surgeries and lives with vision and hearing loss and other complications of the disease and side effects of medication.

Despite her disabilities, Lanita pursues a second career.

“I have worked with thousands of students in the last 24 years at K-State and Lanita McGee stands out as the most remarkable, inspiring and extraordinary one of all,” said Sharon Morcos, instructor in Human Nutrition.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 and is filed under Dean's Blog.