May 11, 2006: Volume 67, Number 7

Saxena, Selchick receive top service honors

Sonya Saxena, a senior with an extensive record of involvement across campus, has received the Frank Bailey Prize for the greatest service to the College in any field.

Brian Selchick received the Josephine Daggett Prize, presented to the senior of the best character and conduct.

The prizes were among those presented at the College's annual Prize Day on May 6.

Saxena, a double major in history and political science, has been active with the Minervas, the President's Commission on Diversity, the Scholars Program, Academic Affairs Committee, Union College Community Orchestra and International Relations Club. She has been the student representative for Orange House, house leader and resident manager of South College, chair of the Scholars Steering Committee and a member of the International Relations Club.

Of her extensive involvement, the Rhinebeck native says, "I like to be where I can make a difference."

She team-taught Introduction to International Politics with Prof. Byron Nichols, served as a senior intern with the Admissions Office, a tutor in the Writing Center and programming assistant with the International Programs Office.

She did a term abroad in Athens, Greece, and thesis research in India. She also did language study and research in San'aa, Yemen, where she volunteered at a women's conference on the implementation of new civil codes.

Off-campus, she has done internships with the Schenectady Law, Order and Justice Center; the Rensselaer County District Attorney's Office; and Schenectady City and County Drug Court Program.

She also was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and received the Alvin Nitchman Prize to the student preparing for law school who exhibits outstanding academic promise and character.

Selchick, a Menands native and U.S. history major who formed his own company while at Union, was among the "40 Under Forty" honored by The Business Review recently.

He graduated from The Albany Academy.

In 2004, he created eWired Auctions, LLC, which specializes in eBay fundraising for charities. The company recently announced a two-year exclusive contract to sell and market an online auction fund-raising application created by BenefitEvents of New York City. The technology allows PDA's to wirelessly run silent auctions at charity fund raisers.

The new technology handles every aspect of a charity's online auction or silent auction fundraiser - from enabling donors to register for the event, view the auction catalogue, bid on items wirelessly with a PDA, to financially processing and data basing all event information.

Selchick is co-president of the Union's Entrepreneurship Club and a member of Sigma Phi fraternity.

Active in Student Forum and the Student Affairs Council, he also received the Alan Lake Chidsey Citizenship Award for contributions to student government and student affairs, and the Meritorious Service Award.

For a complete list of Prize Day recipients, please visit: http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=6390

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