Commitment to Career Excellence Awards
April 21, 2026
4-5 p.m.
Hancock Stadium, Aaron Leech Stadium Club
The Commitment to Career Excellence Awards recognize exceptional dedication to Redbird career readiness. Honorees include Illinois State University students, registered student organizations, faculty, staff, alumni, and employers. Nominations are open to those constituencies and recipients are announced at the Commitment to Career Excellence Awards ceremony.
Nominations
Nominations are now closed and will reopen in the spring. The Career Services Awards Selection Committee evaluates the nominations and determines the award recipients.
Nominations due the month prior to the awards ceremony.
Commitment to Career Excellence Awards Ceremony
The Commitment to Career Excellence Awards ceremony will be held in April and reservations are required. Attendance is limited to nominees and their nominator. If an organization is nominated, it will be limited to one representative from the organization and the nominator. Registration for the Commitment to Career Readiness Awards Ceremony opens in the spring.
Award Recipients
The recipients of the awards are listed below by year received and category.
2026 Recipients
- Employer of the Year (profit) - Mark Barra, Watershed Foods
- Employer of the Year (non-profit) – Renee Martinez, Illinois Student Assistance Commission
- Career Champion of the Year - Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development
- Intern of the Year – Saskia Molina Gamez, WGLT
- Internship Coordinator of the Year – Dr. RJ Rowley, Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment
- Career Services Student Staff Member of the Year – Alexandra Azonobo
- Career Services Staff Member of the Year – Nick Radcliffe
- RSO of the Year – Graduate Student Association
- Engaged Alumni Award - Joseph Fluder III '99
2025 Recipients
- Employer of the Year (profit) - Monica Hood, Enterprise Holdings
- Employer of the Year (non-profit) – Dr. Carl Vallianatos, McHenry High School District #156
- Career Champion of the Year - Dr. Iftikhar Haider, International Engagement
- Intern of the Year – Kaitlyn Holcomb, Catalyst Ministries
- Internship Coordinator of the Year – Dr. Tom Lamonica, School of Communication
- Career Services Student Staff Member of the Year – Alexis Muoghlau
- Career Services Staff Member of the Year – Tamanna Tasmin
- RSO of the Year – Alpha Kappa Psi
- Engaged Alumni Award - Andrew Sutter ‘22