3 NCCC students recognized for outstanding achievements

Submitted by Niagara County Community College

Niagara County Community College students Alexander Minnehan, Meredith Preve and Regan Lytle recently earned awards for their unique contributions in the areas of academics, civic leadership and athletics. The awardees were recognized by local and state leadership including NCCC President William J. Murabito, New York State Sen. Rob Ortt, and State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor John B. King Jr.

Sophomores Minnehan, a biology and chemistry major from Lakeville, and Preve, an environmental studies major from Tonawanda, earned the 2023 Chancellor’s Awards for Student Excellence (CASE), the highest honor bestowed upon a student by SUNY. Presented by the SUNY chancellor in Albany, King said, “The SUNY family is incredibly proud of your accomplishments, your commitment to realizing your ambitions, and, most of all, of the person you are.”

Alex Minnehan smiles with his Chancellor’s Award and President’s Cup.

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Minnehan will graduate with two associate degrees. In addition to earning the Chancellor’s Award, he was presented the President’s Cup at NCCC’s Thunderwolves Awards Night on May 3. This is the most distinguished award in NCCC intercollegiate sports, and recognizes both athletic and academic achievements. Alexander not only maintains a 3.7 grade-point average, he also leads an active campus life and has earned several prestigious baseball honors. He was proud to represent NCCC as a coach at the Livingston County Baseball Camp and serve as a tutor on campus. Alexander’s professors and coaches wrote he is a “Remarkable, dedicated, intelligent student who has excelled in class and on the field while being a positive role model to his teammates and classmates.”

In addition to the Chancellor’s Award, Preve also earned the NCCC President’s Medallion. This recognition is given to graduating students who played a vital role in the development of cocurricular activities. Preve’s passion and determination in reviving the NCCC outdoor activities club through cultivating members and planning Earth Week activities is what led her to this prestigious award. She is also responsible for working with college administrators to bring a composting program to the NCCC Dining Commons, which will continue beyond her time as a student. Preve will deliver the student address at the 59th annual NCCC Commencement ceremony.

Lytle, a business administration student, is also the recipient of two prestigious awards: NCCC’s President’s Medallion and the All-New York Academic Award, given by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She oversees clubs and organizations on campus as vice president of NCCC’s Student Government Association. Additionally, she is vice president of the college’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, president of the National Society of Leadership and Success, and an Alpha Beta Gamma member. Lytle has worked with Habitat for Humanity and raised money for animal shelters, and organizations that fight against human sex trafficking.

The trio will graduate from NCCC with honors on May 13.