CoB Student, Jodie Kunesh, Receives Top Community Involvement Award

Seven Montana State University (MSU) seniors have been awarded the 2012 Torlief Aasheim Community Involvement Awards, the university’s top award for student service.

Dema Alniemi, Sarah Balian, Jamie Diehl, Jodie Kunesh, Megan Podolinsky, Erin Sweitnicki and Joseph Thiel are the winners of the award, which was named for the late MSU alumnus Torlief “Torley” Aasheim. The award recognizes a senior student from each college at MSU who, in addition to excelling academically, volunteer on campus and in the community.

Jodie Kunesh is a business accounting major who has served as president of Beta Gamma Sigma and treasurer of Beta Alpha Psi. She has also volunteered as a CAP mentor and as a member of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.

Marc Giullian, an accounting professor and mentor to Jodie, had this to say at the 2012 Awards for Excellence banquet, where she was honored.

“…In the ten years I have been at MSU, I cannot recall any student who works as hard as Jodie. She works part time, is an officer of MSU’s Beta Alpha Psi/Accounting Club, participates in other extracurricular activities and also manages to get the highest grades of any student I have taught. I do not know how she can do so much and do it all so well! She also has an enthusiastic, positive attitude that is infectious. Just being around Jodie will help you feel more enthused about your life. Having students like Jodie who are hungry for knowledge and anxious to do the work to gain that knowledge makes teaching a true joy.”

- Marc Giullian, associate professor of accounting