BOZEMAN — Two Mission Valley natives were honored by Montana State University on Feb. 18 at the school’s 32nd annual Awards for Excellence banquet.

Award recipients were nominated by faculty members and needed a minimum grade point average of 3.5 as well as a track record of demonstrated campus leadership and community service.

Jonah Barta, from Polson, was recognized for his accomplishments as an Anthropology and Hispanic Studies double major, while Jill Pennington of St. Ignatius was honored for her distinguished work in the College of Nursing at the school’s Missoula campus.

The 40 students honored in total each extended recognition to their academic mentors, who heaped praise on their promising students.

“Jill is an exemplary representative for the College of Nursing,” said Pennington’s instructor, Jeannie Osellame, an assistant teaching professor. “Aside from her significant tangible skills, her exceptional emotional intelligence raises her to a superior level of nursing. Her natural gift for communicating with others, as well as her ability to add appropriate humor, complements her professionalism.”

Osellame said that the opportunity to work with a gifted student like Pennington is a tremendously rewarding experience for educators.

“As a student, Jill affirms that we as educators are making a difference. She inspires me to continue to do my best to serve future generations of nurses. She is a proud example of our work at MSU and will be a remarkable nurse.”

Barta’s advisor, anthropology professor Laurence Carucci, also spoke glowingly about his young pupil.

“Jonah is a stellar student in anthropology, always prepared to delve into issues of social concern, particularly matters that involve social inequality or environmental justice,” said Carucci.

“The analysis of such matters is always complicated, but Jonah consistently dedicates his time and effort to constructing the kinds of arguments that are required to make sense out of such complex interactions. Not only are his research projects and papers in anthropology of exemplary quality, he has also dedicated a great deal of time to Engineers Without Borders and to other programs oriented toward the search for more just futures for people around the globe.”