UNH Today

Do you know a student who has become an active member of the UNH community, who took charge of their education and has taken advantage of all the great opportunities UNH offers? Who has become a leader, a mentor, a changemaker, or who has overcome a challenge to find success in his or her UNH education?

Now is the time to celebrate the personal and academic successes of those remarkable students through the Create Your Own Story (CYOS) program. Nominations are now open and will be accepted through Jan. 23, 2019.

CYOS is a campus-wide initiative that annually recognizes current undergraduate students who have transformed their UNH experience into stories of success. CYOS not only honors dedicated students who have an impact on the university community but seeks to inspire others to take advantage of all that UNH has to offer.

Nearly every staff or faculty member on campus has contact with students through their work, and many of you know that students have unique stories to tell. Many have overcome challenges — financial, emotional, personal — to make a college degree a reality. Others have flourished on campus, transforming from shy first-year students to those who are leading the way, making changes and having a positive effect on our campus community.

The CYOS committee selects 10 students from the pool of nominations, interviews them and writes their stories with them. Those stories are presented at a luncheon in the spring that also includes a video created by each selected student about their UNH experience. It is an incredible showcase of stellar students and a powerful, inspirational event for everyone.

The 10 students who were chosen last year represented a broad range of college majors, extracurricular interests and career paths. One story highlighted Michael Locke ’18, a mechanical engineering major who was prominently featured later by the university for his work in the Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center. CYOS also shared the story of Marissa Anderson ’18, who created her own UNH story by designing and taking part in an internship in Germany. There was also Lexy Hidrovo ’18, a McNair Scholar who found success by working with mentors and became a leading mentor herself to other students.

Curt Kenoyer, Memorial Union & Student Activities and CYOS committee chair said faculty and staff are encouraged to collaborate on nominations. “It’s something positive to collaborate on, and joint nominations give the CYOS awards committee a fuller picture of a nominee,” says Kenoyer.

Whether you nominate on your own or with a colleague, says Kenoyer, it’s a great opportunity to recognize a student who has taken charge of their own education, and who has left a mark on the UNH community.

Ready to nominate? Click here to find more information and the nomination form. You can also check out more about CYOS and read about past winners.