2019 CIS Student Excellence Awards

Each year, students in CIS courses may be nominated for the Excellence in Composition & Communication award, for their work in CIS 110, 111, and 112, and the Excellence in Business Communication award, for their work in CIS 300. These awards are presented by Instructional Communication and Research (ICR) faculty within the College of Communication and Information. Olivia Zidzik and Caleb Wilson were nominated by their professors for their outstanding written and oral communication in these courses. Zidzik and Wilson received their awards at the college’s student awards ceremony on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

Olivia Zidzik
Excellence in Composition and Communication

Olivia Zidzik is from Chesterfield, Michigan. She is a freshman, majoring in integrated strategic communication, focusing on public relations, and minoring in psychology. “CIS has been and continues to be an essential part of my aspired career path in public relations. As a first-year student, this course was my first glance at the surface-level information that I would be learning in my major,” she said. “In order to get a message across to an audience or a target market, I must clearly and effectively communicate it. CIS provides me ways in which I can appeal to my audience, use tactics to make my message unforgettable, and communicate coherently.”

 

Caleb Wilson
Excellence in Business Communication 

 

Caleb Wilson is a native Lexingtonian who is double-majoring in accounting and finance. In addition to his studies, Wilson is involved in campus ministry both at CSF and the Wesley Foundation. “What I liked most about CIS 300 was how we learned really practical and important things that we can carry with us after we graduate. From learning how to have a well-prepared resume to learning how to handle a crisis situation in the workplace, CIS taught you information that is important to your professionalism and relevant to any job or field or employment,” Wilson said. After earning his bachelor’s in May 2020, Wilson plans to obtain his CPA license and become an auditor at a big four accounting firm.