AUSTIN, Texas—The Parents’ Association of UT Austin presented a number of awards as part of Parents’ Weekend activities on Oct. 27-28.
The Parents’ Association Outstanding Student Award has been presented annually since it was established in 1951. It recognizes two students that symbolize the hundreds of outstanding student leaders on this campus. The award was presented to Daron Roberts and Phuong Lien at the annual Parents’ Weekend Breakfast on Oct. 28.
Roberts is a senior in Plan II and government. He is student government president and recipient of the President’s Leadership Award. He also is a member of the Plan II Black Students’ Association and was a Truman Scholarship finalist. He is the son of Gwen and Kirt Roberts of Mount Pleasant.
Lien is a senior majoring in communication science and disorders. She is chair of the student government’s Agency for Students with Disabilities, active in Jester Residence Hall Association and the Longhorn Schoolbus Program. She is the daughter of Tran and Chuong Lien of Wylie.
The Parents’ Association also presented the Mike Wacker Award at its annual fall dinner on Oct. 27 to Marque Moore. This award was established in 1985 for Mike Wacker, a UT graduate, and has become a symbol of courage and perseverance in the face of extreme adversity.
It is given only when a truly extraordinary student, such as Moore, is nominated. Moore, who has been confined to a wheelchair since age 18, has taken initiative and been able to continue his dream of becoming a lawyer. He is the son of Diane Edwards of Benton, Ky.
The Parents’ Association Merit Award, which recognizes outstanding service to students, was given to three staff members in the Division of Student Affairs on Oct. 27.
Recipients were Tom Dison, associate vice president for student affairs and director of recreational sports; Annie Elderbroom, financial adviser to student government and Cabinet of College Councils; and Kevin Jones, a student affairs administrator in the retention services area of the Office of the Dean of Students.
