Wednesday, April 22nd marked the Campus Life Leadership Awards at Wayne
State University. The Campus Life Leadership Awards honors outstanding students,
faculty, staff, and student organizations for their yearlong dedication and exemplary
leadership around campus. To earn one of these highly prestigious awards, nominees
must fill out an application, answer a series of essay questions, as well as attach letters of
recommendation attesting to the applicants’ individual leadership and excellence in
programming. Each nominee is invited to an Awards banquet, and is encouraged to invite
guests to come and show support for the recipient of the award. Various clubs across the
WSU campus were in attendance, including our very own Circle K International Club.
Representing us that night were Danica Aquino, Rasika Chepuri, Amy Eapen, Samantha
Stiff, Shaun Pezeshki, JJ Villaflor, Nabelah Ghareeb, our CKI faculty advisor, and
Beverly Wiggins, President of the Detroit Kiwanis No. 1 Club. CKI was awarded the
City of Detroit Service Award for our outstanding service to the campus as well as
greater Detroit community.
Circle K has given a great deal to the community this past year, reflected in our
involvement at Gleaners, COTS, SAALT, and much more. Gleaners and COTS are two
organizations in Detroit that seek to provide assistance to those less unfortunate. Also,
Circle K partnered with SAALT, or South Asian Americans Leading Together, to
celebrate the national day of service on October 4. The theme, Be the Change, united
organizations nationwide. Circle K was especially recognized for its Lessenger
Elementary school Cultural Show, which it was able to put on through the help of a
District service grant that was awarded to us during the 2008-2009 year. The show raises
the cultural awareness of the students at Lessenger Elementary school as well as fellow
Circle K members. Our members present various ethnic performances and presentations
to the students to expose them to more cultural diversity.
Circle K is especially proud of JJ Villaflor, the 2008-2009 President of Circle K,
who received a Campus Life Legacy Award. This award celebrates graduating seniors
who have made contributions to enhancing campus life at Wayne State University
throughout the course of their undergraduate college career. JJ is extensively involved at
Wayne State, and her exceptional dedication and hard work through Circle K helped her
to earn this honor. JJ is one of the chartering members of WSU Circle K in the Fall of
2006, and the organization has grown incredibly since then. Her hard work and unending
spirit of enthusiasm helped to make Wayne State Circle K what it is today.
The 2009-2010 Kiwanis family chair, Samantha Stiff, took home an Emerging
Leader Award. Samantha is a first year member who has shown incredible dedication and
commitment to Circle K. Her involvement in numerous CKI and Kiwanis events has
helped her polish her leadership skills and shape her into the leader she is today.
WSU Circle K International was very proud after earning the City of Detroit
Service Award, and even more so after seeing two of its members take home these
coveted individual awards. Service, leadership and fellowship truly carried Circle K to
the top. Congrats again to JJ Villaflor, Samantha Stiff, and WSU Circle K!
With warmth,
Nita Valikodath
WSU Circle K International
Club Bulletin Editor