CCCC Employee of the Year Ann Wadsworth stands with President Lindquist following the college’s awards ceremony at the Spirit Lake Casino and Resort.

Cankdeska Cikana Community College (CCCC) held its annual awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 9 at 5:30 pm at the Spirit Lake Casino and Resort in Saint Michael, North Dakota. The awards focused on student scholarship and academic excellence with certificates presented for the president’s list and dean’s list for fall 2022 and spring 2023.

Eric Rogness was named the CCCC Faculty of the Year. Rogness has worked at CCCC for close to 15 years and he is the history and social science instructor. His students and colleagues noted his passion and dedication to his subject matter but also that he makes learning interesting and fun. 

The CCCC Employee of the Year recognition went to four individuals. Paul Keating and Clayton Peltier are both long-time CCCC employees and more recently served as the co-interim directors of the CCCC Head Start program. They have brought stability and unity to the program.

Noelle Dauphinais, a soon-to-be CCCC graduate, is a CCCC Head Start employee and has demonstrated exemplary leadership skills in serving as the acting coordinator for the Partnership Project grant program that focuses on improving the credentials of the teaching staff for the Head Start program. Dauphinais achieved a 4.0 GPA for spring 2023.

Executive assistant to the president, Ann Wadsworth, was recognized as Employee of the Year because of her enthusiasm, compassion, and willingness to help wherever needed. Ms. Wadsworth has a happy and humble disposition that engages people and makes them feel comfortable. These are much-needed skills when helping students or employees navigate the college system.

CCCC president, Dr. Cynthia Lindquist, stated, “Each of these individuals are representative of the caliber of employees at CCCC – hard working, dedicated people doing great things.”  CCCC makes a difference in peoples’ lives, most importantly for the success of the students.