Chelsea Graf was a two-sport letter winner in both cross country and women's lacrosse.Five Student-Athletes, One Staffer Recenty Honored With College's Distinguished Service Award
(Nashua, N.H.) – Five Daniel Webster College student-athletes along with a student athletics staff member were recently honored in May by the College with the annual “Distinguished Service Award” (DSA).
The DSA recognizes and honors students who have made a distinguished contribution to campus life during a specific academic year. Nominees are solicited from the entire College community.
Honorees included junior women’s soccer player Heather Bowman of Matamoras, Penn., sophomore women’s lacrosse player Tracie Busch of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., sophomore softball player Lauren Chesnulevich of Hudson, N.H., senior women’s cross country and women’s lacrosse player Chelsea Graf of Danbury, N.H., and sophomore field hockey and women’s lacrosse player Sarah Twardowski of Buffalo, N.Y.
The department of athletics was also represented by senior Jason Ford of Bronx, N.Y., who spent the past three years as a student staff member.
Eligible only to full-time students, the recipient must be in good academic standings and may qualify by contributing through services to a particular organization by their performance of duties as an officer, by enhancing the activities of the organization, through enrichment of the DWC community, through significant contribution to a major campus event, or through consistent support and encouragement of a range of organizations or activities.
Bowman, an Aviation Management and Homeland Security major, is a three-year letter winner with the women’s soccer program and is a former DWC Presidential Leadership Scholarship recipient. A regular volunteer of the DWC ACE Camp, Bowman has also served the College as an orientation leader, facilitator of freshman course DW 101, has been an active member of the DWC Student Government, served as a class senator, and is a member of the College’s President’s List and Dean’s List for her academic performance, was a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) All Academic Team honoree and is a member of the Alpha Chi national honor society.
Busch, an Air Traffic Control major, has been a student staff member with the College’s Center for Career Development as a community service coordinator having joining the women’ lacrosse program in 2010. Locally, Busch was pivotal in the recent partnering with AmericaCorps Vista that created opportunities for DWC students in the greater Nashua community including area elementary schools.
Chesnulevich, a Sport Management major, is also a member of the College’s Center for Career Development and is a two-year member of the softball program where she has become one of the program’s top performers as was the recipient of the team’s Coach’s Award. Along the way, Chesnulevich has earned a spot on the College’s Dean’s List and is a NECC Academic All Conference honoree.
Ford, a senior who recently graduated with a degree in Aviation/Flight Operations, spent three academic years as one of the department’s top student staff assistants handling all manners of duties from event and facility management to game day operations and sports information services. On the College campus, Ford was a regular volunteer with numerous student affairs, admissions and community events along with the local chapter of the Special Olympics.
Graf, another regular member of the College’s Dean’s List, recently graduated with a degree in Air Traffic Control and has been involved in a myriad of College activities in addition to her duties with the College’s Air Force ROTC chapter, Detachment 345 based at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Graf earned the AFROTC’s “Distinguished Graduate” award, given to the top 10-percent of all ROTC graduates across the nation, finishing as the top cadet in her senior class. Athletically, Graf was named most valuable runner for the cross country team in the Fall and was the Coaches’ Award recipient for women’s lacrosse in the spring.
Twardowski, affectionately known as “Totts” on campus, is a Psychology major and played both field hockey and women’s lacrosse this past year. Twardowski has been heavily involved in a number of clubs and organizations on campus including serving as vice president of the College’s Psychology Club, and as a member of the College’s student activities board.