Mount St. Mary’s University’s Student Life Programs Recognized as among Best in Maryland

Emmitsburg, Md.- Mount St. Mary’s University was honored with two awards at the Maryland College Personnel Association’s (MCPA) recent fall conference. MCPA is a division of the American College Personnel Association, and its purpose is to provide leadership to the student personnel profession in the colleges and universities of the state of Maryland. Each year the organization asks professionals in Maryland to nominate colleges and universities in five different categories; the Mount captured the Dedication to Diversity Award and the Innovative Program Award. 

“We are blessed to have two exceptional programs at the Mount recognized as models throughout Maryland higher education,” says Mount President Thomas H. Powell.  “We are extremely proud of Johnika Nixon and Sean Adams for their leadership in striving for excellence in the Mount’s student affairs programs.”

Johnika Nixon, the Mount’s Director of Intercultural Development, received  the diversity award for her commitment to cultural awareness and for encouraging a multicultural approach with students, programming and community.  According to the requirements, the honoree must be in the forefront in promoting diversity in the student affairs arena and must have taken steps to break down the walls of misunderstanding and ignorance.

The Mount’s Student Leadership Advisory Committee, founded by Student Government Association President Laura Fenaroli, and led by Sean Adams, director of campus activities, won the Innovative Program Award for its outstanding college-student focused programs.  To earn the award, programs must demonstrate innovative best practices and produce quality results in student learning, development, engagement, satisfaction and/or organizational performance. 

These prestigious awards from MCPA indicate that the Mount’s program serve as role models for student affairs practices in colleges and universities throughout Maryland.