Renee Baker and Nicholas Canete were named recipients of the 2018 Distinguished Senior Awards, given annually to graduating seniors who display extraordinary leadership, dedicated service, and superior academic performance.
RENEE BAKER C鈥�18
Baker, an environmental sciences major and physics minor, spent the summer before her senior year in California interning with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), tagging along on plane rides, collecting atmospheric data, and learning how various instruments work.
Last spring, Baker was nominated for the prestigious Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholarship, an honor bestowed upon an outstanding natural science major at one of the six colleges recognized by the Swedish Council of America as a Swedish Heritage College.
鈥淚 was so incredibly honored to be nominated for this scholarship,鈥� says Baker, of Carol Stream, Ill.
Baker also participated in track and cross country during her four years at North Park, earning Athletic All-Conference in Cross- Country (2014鈥�2018) and the CCIW Merle Chapman Award for Track (2017).
Baker plans to pursue a career in alternative energy and biomimicry engineering, a field of science that seeks sustainable solutions to human-generated problems by copying patterns in nature.
NICHOLAS CANETE C鈥�18
Canete, a veteran of the U.S. Navy who hails from Northwest Indiana, earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in politics and business. Last fall, he landed an internship with Governor Bruce Rauner鈥檚 reelection campaign.
In addition, Canete was the president of Pi Sigma Alpha, North Park鈥檚 chapter of the national political honor society. He also organized events for the Student Veteran Association and was a resident assistant in one of the campus apartment buildings.
Canete hopes to go into public relations, business operations, or law enforcement. His experience with Rauner also piqued his interest in politics.
鈥淚 do hope to run for office someday, but if I do, I imagine it would be on the local or state level, such as a school board, town council, or as a state representative,鈥� Canete says.