The Viking, college-wide, award is the highest honor a student can receive at LBCC.
Viking Award recipients are selected as true role models for others; exemplifying the best in scholarship, leadership, and service to others.
According to the administrative assistant of student life, Pamela Garrison a total of seven Viking students have been chosen to receive the highest honor.
Students must be nominated by peers, staff or they may nominate themselves.
Those Viking students were notified by letter that they had a mandatory meeting on Thursday, May 24 with the Dean of student affairs, Ramon L. Knox.
Under the assumption that they were in trouble, to their surprise and relief when they got to the meeting they were actually congratulated by Viking staff members and friends with food.
Celene Aparicio, Purvis Gills, and Yesenia Ochoa were three of the Viking award recipients that were present to receive their award at 12 p.m. on Thursday.
“I feel relieved, more important I feel rewarded for everything I’ve done,” said Gills a political science major who is graduating and planning on transferring to Cal State Berkeley.
“I feel recognized from the school, but mostly I feel honored,” said Ochoa a business administration marketing major who is graduating and plans on transferring to Cal State Long Beach.
“I was at the last award ceremony so when I got the letter I thought am I in trouble or is it the Viking Awards? But still it was a good surprise and I was happy,” said Aparicio a psychology major who is graduating as a commencement marshal and will be transferring to Cal State Long Beach.
All the Viking Award recipients will be officially receiving their award at the ASB Leadership Awards Banquet, Friday, June 1 at 6 p.m., at The Grand Event Center in Long Beach.
The Viking Awards does take place every semester so that there is a better chance for every student to get a chance to be nominated.
The award recipients must have earned an honor certificate and a leadership and service award to be considered for the Viking Award.
Once a student receives the award they can then apply for the scholarship.
A committee of staff and/or administrators choose from the list and decides who receives the scholarship.
The seven that have received the highest honor of the Viking Award will be commemorated at the graduation by asking to stand to be recognized for their achievements in the community.
Also, they will receive stoles to be worn during graduation as another way to recognize their accomplishments.