Student Leadership Excellence Award Highlights

May 9, 2026

Picture of campus between classes with students walking.

The 2026 Student Leadership Excellence Awards brought together students from across campus, along with their faculty and staff mentors, for an evening of fun and comradery.

With live music by alumni band RCA and the Radicals and appetizers galore, the May 4 event in the PUB’s Nysether Community Room reminded a room of people what makes Eastern a special place to connect and learn.

Michelle Mowrey, director of student engagement and the PUB, opened by telling attendees that “leader” isn’t just a title to be held, but something to be done. The path to leadership, Mowrey noted, is filled with opportunities to learn, apply, reflect and adjust.

“Along that path, we encounter new challenges, unfamiliar situations and moments that stretch us in ways we didn’t expect. Growth asks us to be uncomfortable, to try again and to keep moving forward.”

Mowrey said the night was a celebration of all of that: the growth, the effort, the learning, and the leadership. “As my supervisor and longtime mentor, Josh Ashcroft, reminds me, there will be growing pains. And that’s not a sign that something is going wrong; it’s often a sign that something is going right.”

Mowrey highlighted the excellence of student and faculty collaboration, calling it one of the most powerful examples of co-curricular, hands-on learning that the Eastern community has.

Mia Blomgren, recipient of the Community Impact Award, said of the projects she was involved with over the past academic year, she was most proud of the supply drive she handled for the Ronald McDonald House over the holidays.

“It’s really special to be able to give back to the community in different ways, and receiving this award made me feel like the work I’ve done has truly made an impact,” Blomgren said.

Blomgren, a senior majoring in communications with an emphasis in public relations, is engaged in multiple efforts on campus and is also a member of the Cheney Centennial Lions Club. Blomgren said she is now more motivated than ever to continue to serve and support others.

Below is a full list of this year’s award recipients: