Valerie Ehimhen Honored With Derek Thomson Sheely Leadership Award at Frostburg State University

2016 May 10

Frostburg State University junior Valerie Ehimhen, of Riverdale, was honored with the Derek Thomson Sheely Leadership Award at the 2015-2016 FSU Leadership Awards Reception.

The Derek Thomson Sheely Leadership Award is presented to the FSU junior, with a grade point average of 3.40 or higher, who best exemplifies the qualities of leadership that Sheely demonstrated. The award includes a $2,000 scholarship and the requirement for 40 hours of community service to increase the awareness of concussions and traumatic brain injuries in sports.

Ehimhen is a senator in the Student Government Association, an Academic Excellence chair for the National Society of Black Engineers and a 2015 Sloop Leadership Institute participant. She also tutors students in economics.

In her essay for the award, she wrote, "I have a passion to help students better themselves. ... Sometimes all a person needs is a little encouragement."

In describing one of the students she tutored, she said, "I believed in him, and I saw great potential in him."