North Central College student wins Blue Key scholarship

This year's National Blue Key Honor Society conference named Alyxandria Schwarzwalder, a senior from North Central College in Illinois, winner of the Gregory Lee Smith Exemplary Blue Key Member Award.

The award is granted to students who exhibit leadership and service while in the Blue Key chapter.

Schwarzwalder plans to graduate from a five-year program in 2017, after having earned her B.A in organizational communication and her M.A in leadership studies.

Her experiences has primed her for the recognition, as she interned at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida last year, and currently serves in the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Illinois membership and member services departments. Through these opportunities, she has had the ability to understand the leadership styles that exist and how they benefit an organization.

“I observed a multitude of different leadership styles while I was at Disney. I focused a lot on teamwork and servant leadership, which ultimately ties to my interest in authentic leadership,” Schwarzwalder said.

This year's conference was held at Kansas State University, and in addition to the recognition, Schwarzwalder has also been granted a $1,000 scholarship.