The Union and its various organizations recognized students, staff, and additional partners for their outstanding contributions at the 2024 Union Leadership Celebration on Tuesday, Apr. 30.

Union Program Council

Co-chair of the Year: Jack Otto

Event of the Year: Yung Gravy

Graphic of the Year: Yung Gravy, designed by Riley Scott

Union Governing Board

Committee Member of the Year: Tram Pham

Stanley L. Winter Alpha Tau Omega Leadership Scholarship

Winners: Prasanth Chandran, Carson Cuesta, Erin Smith, and Samantha Suchanek

This scholarship perpetuates the memory of Stanley L. Winter on the campus of Kansas State University and provides educational opportunities and assistance for upper-level students who possess exemplary attributes in scholarship, fellowship, and character.

Employee Achievement Award

Staff winners: Chris Srackengast, Bowling Center

Student winner Emily Miner, retail services, Chick-fil-A

The achievement award recognizes employees who exemplify and embody the mission and values of the Union.

Years of Service Recognition 

Emily Johnson- 10, Craig Johnson – 25, and Mike Johnston, 45

Partner of the Year Award

Winner: Panda Express

The award recognizes departments, corporate associates, vendors, and other individuals who have demonstrated outstanding support and collaboration to advance the K-State Student Union mission.

Vision Award 

John Frese, former K-State Student Union, Maintenance Repair Technician Manager

The award identifies and extends our sincere appreciation to the individuals in the history of the K-State Student Union whose efforts, commitment, influence, and dreams energized the growth and service of our student union.

John Frese began working at the university as a student in 1966 cleaning residence halls and performing other maintenance tasks for the housing department. He moved to the Union maintenance department in 1968. Frese’s position transitioned over time to the maintenance repair technician manager.

During his five-plus decades of service, Frese had seen a multitude of changes – in the nation, on campus, and within the Union. He had been in the presence of Bobby Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Regan, and others through the university’s Landon Lecture series. Five different university presidents have held office while Frese was a part of the K-State family.

He was instrumental in the 1963 and 1970 expansions and the 1998 and 2015 renovations of the Union – updates advanced the Union from typewriters to computers, pay phones to cell phones, smoking in the building to a smoke-free campus, individual thermostats to computerized energy management systems and more. Frese also worked with five Union directors, hundreds of Union staff, and thousands of K-State students. He always enjoyed the liveliness and bustle of the Union and the campus.

Frese retired from the Union in 2020 after 52 years of service and is enjoying his retirement by spending time with his wife and traveling.