HANCOCK, MI – Finlandia’s Academic Achievement Committee hosted the university’s annual Honors & Awards Ceremony on Friday. Friends, faculty and staff gathered in Martha Wiljanen Hall at FinnU’s Finnish American Heritage Center to celebrate the students selected to receive honors and awards.

The Sisu Award is given to graduating students who have shown courage, fortitude and perseverance in overcoming hardship to achieve academic and personal success. Brandon Hale and Elijah Emmer were the two recipients of this year’s Sisu Award.

Membership in the Sampo Society is awarded to graduating students whose academic success is the highest and most well-rounded. Recipients must have earned a cumulative grade point average of 3.7-4.0. They will have shown leadership, commitment, achievement, initiative, and involvement in the cultural and intellectual life of the campus and community. Receiving Sampo Society Membership were Delaney Anderson, Veronica Buchweitz, Brendan Christian, Allison Cooper, Austin Keranen, Kaitlyn Lundeen, Mary Mills, Sarah Moir, Laison Ruonavaara, Philip Schader and Joseph Watson.

Kaitlyn Lundeen, from Maple, Wisc., was named the 2023 Student Representative and will speak at the Spring 2023 Commencement Ceremony on behalf of the student body. Lundeen will graduate with Summa Cum Laude honors this spring with her associate degree in Physical Therapy Assistant and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Healthcare Management through Finlandia’s 2+2 degree offering. While studying at FinnU, Lundeen played for the Lions Women’s Basketball team, serving as captain and assistant coach.

Honors recipients:

CUM LAUDE

(3.5 – 3.699)

Bachelor’s Degree:

Tyler Hale

Hillary Hantz

Daisia Knowles

Ella Lindgren

Annie Miller

Laison Ruonavaara

Tyler Turcotte

Associate Degree:

Jacob Clark

Jaron Hembroff

Karla Lovell

Peter Ordonio

Larkyn Ripley

Nathan Walerowicz

MAGNA CUM LAUDE (3.70 – 3.899)

Bachelor’s Degree:

Delaney Anderson

Janie Berg

Allison Cooper

Seth Dahl

Austin Keranen

Sarah Moir

Makenzie Phillips

Casana Ryynanen

Philip Schader

Joseph Watson

Associate Degree:

Veronica Buchweitz

Sofia De Ycaza

Logan Latvis

Shannon Mattson

Gabriel Poirer

Charles Ramirez

Gavin Simonson

Mary Wiggins

SUMMA CUM LAUDE (3.90 – 4.0)

Bachelor’s Degree:

Brendan Christian

Brooke Dalgord

Kaitlyn Lundeed

Mary Mills

Kylee Hopp

Associate Degree:

Stephanie Ollila

Mitchell Kehn