Five Oswego students recently received SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence, the highest such recognition in the state system.

Remmington Johnson won a special Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence - Military Service: Air Force, the only such award in the state system. Chancellor’s Awards also recognized the outstanding accomplishments of Caydee Blankenship, Helena Buttons, Matthew Lynne and Jayvana Perez.

A senior creative writing major from Watertown, Johnson earned three military awards while serving in Afghanistan for leadership, courage and forecasting ability. His service earned the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Army Commendation Medal and the Air Force Achievement Medal - First Oak Leaf Cluster. Returning to the U.S., Johnson reflected deeply on his service and chose to write about his experiences and what he has learned. Set to graduate summa cum laude, he earned the Dean’s Writing Award for Creative Writing and Rosalie Battles Creative Non-fiction Award, and was runner-up for the Alix Madigan-Yorkin Short Script Award. He has published several pieces in the Great Lakes Review.

A senior double major in finance and economics from Antwerp with a perfect 4.0 GPA, Blankenship has excelled in academics and analytical skills. Currently working with Northwestern Mutual as a financial representative and as a team analyst for the CFA Institute, she was senior analyst for the SUNY Oswego Investment Club and a financial analyst intern with the Carta Group. Blankenship earned an invitation to present her research at the New York State Economics Association Conference, and has received the Richard Hyse Outstanding Economics Student Award, among other honors. Also a member of Women in Business, Blankenship has been inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Epsilon honor societies.

A senior double major in communication and social interaction and in English from Churchville, Buttons has shone brightly in dedication to others. Most notably, they coordinate Students Helping Oz Peers (SHOP), the college’s student-volunteer-run food and clothing pantry helping campus members in need. A Merit Scholar, Buttons interns in the President’s Office/Chief of Staff, including serving on the State Employees Federated Appeal committee. They also helped other students during internships with Career Services and the Dean of Student offices. Buttons is vice president of Lambda Pi Eta communication honor society and has been a member of the Society for Human Resource Management, Queer and Trans Outreach Center, and Her Campus Online Magazine.

Senior meteorology major Lynne, from Jamesville, has excelled in academics, research and forecasting. A top student in synoptic meteorology classes, he has interned with and conducts ongoing research related to the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center’s Winter Storm Outlook. He also conducts research on lake-effect lightning and lake-effect snow. A Presidential Scholar, he is a student forecast leader for the Lake-Effect Storm Prediction and Research Center, and has presented research at the Great Lakes Atmospheric Science Symposium, where he was a leading organizer. He also is a member of the College Honors Program, vice president of the Meteorology Club and a member of the SUNY Oswego Jazz Ensemble.

Perez, a senior double major in criminal justice and in communication and social interaction from Ozone Park, provided an exemplary level of leadership and commitment to furthering diversity and understanding. Perez has been a key organizer of the ALANA (African, Latino, Asian and Native American) Leadership Conference multiple times. Her many involvements include serving as president of the Latino Student Union, spearheading an increase in programming, particularly during Hispanic Heritage Month. She has interned with the Dean of Students and Title IX office. Her overall excellence and effort resulted in the Presidential Scholarship, Hubert B. Smith Diversity Scholarship, Jean M. Grant Student Peer Health Educator Memorial Award and Eugenio Maria De Hostos Scholarship, among other awards. 

The students were recognized on campus during Honors Convocation on April 8, with a statewide ceremony on April 26 in Saratoga Springs. SUNY Interim Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley, the former longtime SUNY Oswego president, presided over the occasion honoring 180 students total with the Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence (CASE).

"Now more than ever, it is time to celebrate the accomplishments of our students who have helped one another get through this global pandemic and focus on getting the most out of their college education, and this year’s CASE winners are at the top of the class," Stanley said. "It is my great honor to celebrate the fortitude, leadership, and achievements of this year’s winners, and I applaud their hard work and desire to do more for their campuses and fellow students. I, for one, can’t wait to see what they do next."