LaVon Whipple, Dining Services barista at the Barry Hall coffee shop, was selected to receive the prestigious Mary McCannel Gunkelman Recognition Award. She was honored during a ceremony May 7 at the NDSU McGovern Alumni Center.
The annual award was established in 1987 to recognize the student or employee who has made the most significant and unselfish contributions to creating a happy environment for the enjoyment of NDSU students. Whipple was selected from among 30 nominees.
“Its such an honor to be in this spot today. Every person in the room is deserving of it, but today it’s my big honor to feel that I’m part of the Gunkelman family,” said Whipple.
Whipple was named in more than 60 nominations from students, staff and faculty. “I want to thank each and everyone of them,” she said. “They know they can get a smile from me every day. I want to start everybody’s day with a smile. I love my job.”
In the nominations, Whipple was lauded for her rapport with students and her efforts to create a friendly environment in Barry Hall. Several nominators described how she spreads sunlight throughout the building.
In a letter of nomination, senior Hannah Pilger, a marketing major, described Whipple this way. “LaVon is the happiest person I know. She loves her job and the people she works with. Her happiness is contagious.”
Academic adviser Kay Hopkins wrote, “LaVon is such a sweet lady. She remembers everyone, is always in a good mood and is just a day brightener.”
In another nomination letter, Wendy Baumann, academic assistant in the Center for Global Initiatives, wrote, “LaVon Whipple is the epitome of what the Gunkelman Award stands for. She’s a very bright light in Barry Hall and makes the day of everyone she contacts a bit brighter,” she wrote.
Dallas Breberg, a junior finance major, wrote, “She always gives service with a smile, and makes my day a little brighter whenever I go buy a snack or a coffee. She is a wonderful lady.”
Graduate student Peter Turner described Whipple as “the friendliest person I ever met – not just at NDSU – but, in my entire life. She always greets you with a welcome and a smile.”
Kelly Mertz, cashier supervisor at the Barry Hall branch of the NDSU Bookstore, wrote Whipple knows customers by name and she is the “heart and soul” of Barry Hall. “To paraphrase a line from one of my favorite movies, ‘LaVon Whipple makes me want to be a better person.’ I can think of no higher compliment than that,” Mertz wrote.
Other nominees included:
Students: Keith Bistodeau, mass communication; Erik Diederich, construction management; Lindsey Feyder, civil engineering; Franco Coronado, plant pathology; Jared Hansen, electrical and computer engineering; Garrett Hittle, emergency management; and Ruchi Joshi, environmental and conservation science.
Staff: Wendy Baumann, Center for Global Initiatives; Marilyn Dowdy, international student and study abroad services; Daniel Erichsen, ITS; Austen Germolus, animal science; Kelly Haugen, College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences; Wanda Hughes, Dining Services; Ronda Klubben, health, nutrition and exercise sciences; James Kirsch, animal sciences; Kelly Paynter, communication; David “Pete” Peterson, Residence Life; Mary Pfeifer, ITS; Kaarin Remmich, registration and records; Lea Roberts, School of Education; Matthew Skoy, Memorial Union; Bradley Steen, NDSU Bookstore; Shelly Swandal, agribusiness and applied economics; Rosie Wagner, Dining Services; Sharon Wheeler, Dining Services; and Karla Young, Spectrum.
Faculty: Robin Albert, mathematics; Anthony Flood, history, philosophy and religious studies; and Rachel Richman, veterinary and microbiological sciences.