CSCC’s Garrod Receives NCHC Student of the Year Award

Holly Vincent
Monday, November 19, 2018 12:00 AM
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CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Cleveland State Community College student Amanda Garrod was recently awarded the Student of the Year for Two-Year College Students at the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) Conference.

The NCHC Student of the Year Award is presented to honors students who are student members of NCHC, have made an impact on their Honors program, and who have participated in honors at the regional and/or national level.

 Dr. Victoria Bryan, CSCC Honors Program Director, stated, “I get to work with a lot of wonderful students as the Honors Program Director, but Amanda stands out among them as someone who is compassionate, caring, driven, and thoughtful. So it's true that I can think of no one better for this award, and our program is lucky to have her.”

Garrod currently serves as the student trainer for Allies, the gay / straight alliance and advocacy program at CSCC. In the spring of 2018, she was a co-founder of CSCC’s Social Justice Club, helping to write by-laws and serving as Vice-President during the founding semester. This year, she’s serving as President of the organization. Under her direction, students, faculty and staff are organizing documentary viewings and panel discussions on social justice issues each month.

Garrod stated, “Personally, when I was looking at going to CSCC one of the things that cemented my decision was that CSCC had an Allies program. It signified to me that I would find a safe space here where I didn’t need to worry about hiding any aspect of myself, which allowed me to flourish.”

Garrod continued, “I don’t view this award as a byproduct of my work alone,” stated Garrod. “I work with several fantastic people that helped me pull off the events and drives that secured me this award. Getting this honor means that I am leading people in the right direction, one of kindness, empathy, and acceptance... it feels like a massive honor, and at this point, I still can’t believe that I have received this award. I love the work I do (with CEEP, Social Justice Club, and Allies), and would continue to do it without the accolades, but this validation gives me the strength to carry on, even when it gets difficult.”

Photo Cutline: Pictured: CSCC Student Amanda Garrod won Student of the Year at the NCHC Conference.