Suzanne Hanvey has been selected as SMCC’s Student of the Year for her leadership, academic excellence and passion in helping others and the environment.
Hanvey, who is earning a degree in Liberal Studies-Science, is president of both the Community Service Club and the Hiking and Foraging Club. She serves on the Student Senate and the SMCC chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society while maintaining a near-perfect GPA.
Hanvey has organized numerous student events and activities that focus on helping people in need and the environment, such as planning clean-ups of area parks and sanctuaries, feeding the homeless, and helping baby animals at the Saco River Wildlife Center.
She will be formally recognized during a Maine Community College System virtual ceremony in late April that pays tribute to Students of the Year at all of Maine’s community colleges. Each student will receive a John and Jana Lapoint Leadership Award in the amount of $1,000.
After graduating from Thornton Academy in Saco in 2021, Hanvey came to SMCC because it allowed her to save money on her college career and offered so many opportunities to become involved in student life. After SMCC, she plans to continue her education and eventually embark on a career preserving natural habitat for animals that live in threatened areas.
“I just like helping people and animals,” she said. “I want to make a difference in the world. It’s very fulfilling.”
Hanvey is also busy outside of college. She is a certified behavioral health professional and spends 20-40 hours a week working with children who have behavioral health challenges.
She also has trips planned in the months ahead to Colorado and Florida for Phi Theta Kappa and American Student Government Association conferences, and to the Galapagos Islands, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica to experience new cultures and learn about and see the animals that live there.