Last Updated on May 12, 2017 by cassnetwork
KOKOMO, Ind. — Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region will recognize students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and leadership during its commencement ceremony May 12.

Bailey Pownell of Walton, who is graduating with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Paralegal Studies, will be honored with the Dr. Pam Lewis Award for Academic Excellence. She was selected from those students nominated for the Dean’s Award in each program who have a 3.75 GPA or higher. Other considerations for this award include leadership, community service, and school involvement. In nominating Pownell for the honor, her instructor said she “is – without a doubt – one of the greatest representatives the Paralegal Studies Department has ever had.”
Pownell, who maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, shared her knowledge with fellow students as a supplemental instruction facilitator. She was an officer in Legalese, Ivy Tech’s law-based student organization. While working two jobs to help finance her education, she served as an intern with a Howard County-based law firm, where she focused on helping abused, neglected, and abandoned children make their way through the legal system via the statewide CHINS (Children in Need of Services) program. She has been hired for a full-time position with a law firm in Peru.
Dean’s Award recipients are chosen by their program chair based on scholastic achievement, related occupational performance, college leadership and community involvement. Honored as the 2017 Dean’s Award winner in their program were:
Accounting
Kathy Sue Sparling, Greentown
Agriculture
Sarah Reel, Noblesville
Automotive
Jacob Samuel Stevens, Peru
Business Administration
Joy L. Dufendach, Sweetser
Business Operations, Applications
& Technology
Mary L. Keaton, Peru
Criminal Justice
Jessica McVay, Delphi
Dental Assisting
Bernadine M. Higgins, Kokomo
Early Childhood Education
Jennifer L. Moss, Logansport
Education
Rafael Molina, Peru
Engineering Technology
John Philip Heffernan, Kokomo
General Studies
Trisha Norfleet, Kokomo
Healthcare Specialist
Kristie D. Culp, Rochester
Heating, Ventilation, & Air
Conditioning
James V. Altherr, Tipton
Homeland Security/Public Safety
Shawn Michael Shepard, Orestes
Human Services
James Earl Montgomery, Kokomo
Industrial Technology
Sally L. Crider, Kokomo
Information Technology Support
Anthony A. Botsford, Logansport
Liberal Arts
Paige Marie Eriks, Rochester
Medical Assisting
Amanda C. Jones, Logansport
Nursing
Kimberly Ann Overmyer, Westfield
Paralegal Studies
Bailey Sue Pownell, Walton
Paramedic Science
Anita K. Wooldridge, Kokomo
Professional Communication
Carl J. Clark, Martinsville
Software Development
Benjamin Thompson, Peru
Surgical Technology
Chelsea Dee-Ahn Renbarger, Marion
Visual Communications
James S. Seidle, Peru
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region