Danner 1st Sandburg Student to be Selected as Student Laureate
Aaron Frey
Thursday, October 25, 2018 4:02 PM
Campus News
Galesburg, IL
Carl Sandburg College student Zana Danner has been selected as a 2018 Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, marking the first time in the College’s history a student has been chosen for the honor.
The annual award recognizes excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities by students at Illinois colleges and universities. Danner, a graduate of Sherrard High School who now resides in Davenport, Iowa, was selected as the lone representative of all Illinois community colleges. An outstanding senior from each four-year college or university in the state also is chosen.
Danner and other 2018 Student Laureates will receive a medallion, certificate of achievement and a $1,000 check from the Lincoln Academy during a ceremony Nov. 17 at the Old State Capitol in Springfield.
Danner is involved with numerous activities and organizations at Sandburg. She was elected as president of the Student Government Association for the 2018-19 academic year and is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, for which she has served as vice president.
Danner also is involved in TRIO Student Support Services, where she has been a member of the Leadership Council and volunteers as an academic coach. She also serves as a math, sciences and writing tutor on campus and is an active member of Women of Character, a campus service organization that empowers students to become leaders in the community.
Danner, who also volunteers three days a week at UnityPoint Health-Trinity Hospital in Rock Island and works two part-time jobs, has maintained a 4.0 GPA and appeared on the Dean’s List in each semester of the 2017-18 academic year.
Danner plans to become a pediatric doctor and is considering transferring to the University of Illinois, Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University or the University of Iowa after completing her associate degree at Sandburg.
“I am finally at a point in my life where I look forward to waking up every morning to learn something new and help someone new,” Danner said. “I could not be where I am without the support of my peers, mentors, professors and family. I always make sure I have time to immerse myself into all of my commitments by putting the most in and receiving the most out. All the while, I remain grateful for the opportunities that have come my way.”
MORE INFORMATION: Student Laureates of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois
