Cazenovia resident receives highest SUNY honor
Morrisville State College student Byron Evans, of Cazenovia, has been honored with the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.
The prestigious award is based on outstanding academic and career achievement, as well as service and leadership. It is the highest honor bestowed upon a student by SUNY.
“It is my honor to celebrate the achievements of students who have surpassed SUNY’s highest standards of academic excellence and leadership both on and off campus,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “Every student we recognize today has demonstrated a strong commitment to their degree program, home campus, greater community, and much more. Congratulations to all of the students receiving this year’s award.”
Evans, an automotive management student, became the most decorated runner in MSC history as a four-year member and two-year captain of the men’s cross country team. Evans was named the 2016 North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) Runner of the Year and claimed the individual title at the conference championships last fall, becoming the first runner in program history to accomplish either feat. He also became the program’s first-ever all-region honoree after posting a team-record finish time during the 2015 NCAA Mideast Regional Championships.
Evans also landed on the NEAC All-Conference First Team for the second straight year in 2016, while being an all-conference selection during all four of his seasons and a five-time recipient of the NEAC Runner of the Week award.
Academically, Evans was a four-time NEAC Scholar-Athlete honoree while becoming the college’s first selection to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Team in 2016. A Phi Theta Kappa honors student, Evans has been named to Morrisville’s Dean’s List every semester since the fall of 2013.
Active on campus and within the community, Evans served as an MSC admissions ambassador for three years, leading campus tours and assisting with open house events and Accepted Student Days. Evans is also a member of the college’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the student organization BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ), serving as the public relations representative for the latter in 2015. He also volunteers as a sound technician at Cazenovia Village Baptist Church and attained the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.
Evans earned an associate degree with honors in automotive technology—Ford ASSET option in 2015 and will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in automotive management. He is currently completing a 15-week internship as an auto appraiser with The Hartford Insurance Company and plans to pursue a managerial role in the auto industry following graduation.
Evans, who received home education, is the son of James and Merry Evans, of Cazenovia.
