Jaguar Awards

On April 14, Students, faculty, staff, and families gathered in the Vista Room to celebrate Texas A&M University–San Antonio’s outstanding student leaders at the 5th Annual Jaguar Awards Ceremony.

The Jaguar Awards recognizes leadership and involvement in the A&M-SA community. This year’s awards were hosted by the Office of Student Activities and included awards from Recreational Sports and the Mays Center for Experiential Learning & Community Engagement. New to the ceremony this year was the inaugural Outstanding Senior Awards, presented by the Vice President of Student Affairs and Alumni Affairs.

The Award Ceremony recognized the following:

Outstanding New Student Organization of the Year:
Catholic Student Association 

Most Improved Sport Club of the Year:
Men’s Club Basketball

Fundraiser of the Year:
Delta Sigma Pi Colony

Community Service Award:
Sigma Delta Lambda Sorority, Inc.

Advisor of the Year:
Dr. Shelley B. Harris, Kappa Delta Pi Co-Advisor

Student Leader of the Year:
Sa Huynh

Sport Club Leader of the Year:
Melody Cano, Women’s Club Basketball

Student Organization President of the Year:
Rene Orozco, The Coalition

Student Organization of the Year:
Kappa Delta Pi

Student Volunteer of the Year
Ernest D. Hernandez

Undergraduate Student Worker of the Year
Catherine Silva, Student Counseling and Wellness

Graduate Assistant of the Year
Klarisa “KC” Carranza, Recreational Sports

The division of Student Affairs and the office of alumni affairs partnered this year to bring a new tradition to campus. The inaugural Outstanding Senior Awards and the Senior of Distinction.

The Outstanding Senior recognition honors graduating seniors who have made significant contributions to Texas A&M University-San Antonio through academic achievement, campus leadership and involvement, community service, honors and awards. To be considered, a student must first be nominated by a member of A&M-SA faculty, a staff member, student or alumni.

Applications from the nominated students are reviewed by the Outstanding Senior Award Committee and then a select few are invited for interviews with the committee and untimely, the committee selects the outstanding seniors.

Committee members included:

• Mary Kay Cooper, Director of Alumni Affairs
• Cheryl La Gras, Director of Student Activities
• Melissa Mahan, Vice President for Student Affairs
• Megan Wise de Valdez, Associate Professor & Program Coordinator – Biology

This year, we had numerous nominees and the committee selected six outstanding seniors.

Those selected as Outstanding Seniors were then reviewed by the committee and the committee names one individual from among all the Outstanding Seniors as our Senior of Distinction.  The Senior of Distinction has a monetary award funded by the Mahan Family and the prized Senior of Distinction Medal which is to be worn at commencement.

2018 Outstanding Senior Award Winners:

• Angelica Avila
• Blanca Banda
• Jeanette Lopez
• Sherilynn Vineyard
• Mary Walker
• Khira Warford

Khira Warford was awarded the Senior of Distinction.

Additionally, A new tradition started at the ceremony was this year was the introduction of Campus Activities Board and Student Government Association 18-19 Executive Officers.