FINALIST - 2006

Kevin Chysna My involvement in many campus activities and the numerous responsibilities I undertake always leave me smiling, because I know the effort that I put forth as an athlete, writer, student, mentor, actor, president, and friend is never for nothing. I always try to carry out the simple acts of kindness and generosity that can leave a person changed for the better. I believe this thoughtfulness and courtesy should be a major characteristic of the Lafayette Ideal. I am most proud of the actions I perform that seem inconsequential but that make a big difference. I always find time for others, whether it’s generating laughs for my teammates or supporting my friends’ efforts to raise money for cancer. I believe that my achievements can partly be attributed to my disposition. I believe my drive and passion aid in my efforts to succeed. However, there are so many people at Lafayette who have pushed, guided, helped, supported, and—quite literally—kicked me along the way, and they, too, must be credited for both my success as a student and a friend, as well as for my happiness as a person. The people of the Lafayette community—professors, friends, coaches, parents, and staff—have provided me with a supportive atmosphere to become a successful and, more importantly, principled person. I have learned that no good deed goes unnoticed, because I find myself receiving much more from others than I give to them. The simple actions that I carry out and the friendships that I form may not have their place on a resume, and they will only be recognized by a certain few, yet I know that they are what define me as a person; and I believe that such things are what should define the Lafayette Ideal.

 

Majors: Psychology and English


Academic Activities/Awards

• Dean’s List every semester (1, 2, 3, 4)
• Lafayette Athletic Honor Roll (1, 2, 3, 4)
• Patriot League Athletic Honor Roll (1, 2, 3, 4)
• Received Dr. James Schaffer Academic Award by Lafayette Soccer for demonstrating academic excellence (4)
• Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Society (4)
• Received the Herbert W. Rogers Psychology Prize—Awarded annually to outstanding senior psychology major judged by the department to be most deserving (4)
• Patriot League Championship Honors—Lafayette Men’s Soccer (4)
• Elected President of the National Honor Society of Psychology at Lafayette (4)
• Inducted into the National Honor Society of Psychology (3)
• McKelvey Scholar Nominee (3)
• Recipient of the 12th Man Award—Lafayette College Men’s Soccer (3)
• Four poems published in the Marquis Literary Magazine (1, 2, 3)
• Writing Assistant nominee (2, 3)
• Recipient of the Gilbert Prize for Academic Excellence in English (2)
• Patriot League Championship Honors—Lafayette Men’s Soccer

Campus Service Activities

• Soccer Team Writing Assistant (1, 2, 3, 4)

Community Service Activities

• Lehigh Valley Soccer Club Mentor—Spent a couple of hours a month playing sports with children from the community and advising them on their academics and family life (1, 2, 3, 4)

Athletics

• Lafayette Men’s Soccer team member all four years (1, 2, 3, 4)
• Intramural basketball (1, 2, 3, 4)

Special Interest Group Activities

• Performed numerous 10-minute scenes from plays such as Angels in America and Oleanna in every annual Fringe Festival (1, 2, 3, 4)
• Spring College Theater Productions The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (4)
• Spring College Theater Production The Cherry Orchard (2)
• Spring College Theater Production The Real Inspector Hound (1)
• Psychology Club Member (3, 4)
• Student Movement against Cancer (SMAC) Team Captain (4)
• National Honor Society of Psychology (Psi Chi) President