Katrina Roxas
Katrina Roxas, a senior nursing student from Falling Waters, W.Va., has been awarded the Climb Higher award at West Virginia University Potomac State College.
The award recognizes resiliency for overcoming personal adversity, exemplifying an outstanding work ethic inside and outside of the classroom, practicing kindness, and for displaying a positive attitude.
Faculty and staff at the College nominate students they believe are deserving of the award, which is given each month during the academic year.
Roxas is in the Honors Program at the College and has served on the PSC Conduct Board Committee, as a PSC Diversity Ambassador and as a resident hall assistant (RA).
“As a freshman RA, it was a challenge trying to help other students adjust to college while I was adjusting as well, but it also helped me understand more of what the residents feel during this period of adjustment, and since I was experiencing the same thing, I used it to my advantage. I saw this as an opportunity to help other students by making a positive impact on their lives. Though each year brought a different challenge, it made my job fun and added to my own personal growth,” Roxas said.
Throughout her college career, Roxas has been involved with the Spanish Club, the Student Nurses’ Association (SNA) and the Student Government Association, as well as an inductee into the Sigma Phi Omega Honor Society. She has volunteered at Aging and Family Services, visited Potomac Heights with other SNA members to check the residents’ blood pressure and offered fun activities along with informative presentations.
Roxas spent this past summer interning at UPMC Western Maryland in the Intensive Care Unit, volunteered her time to perform COVID-19 surveillance testing, and volunteered at vaccination clinics on the College campus as well as at UPMC Western Maryland.
Lucas Taylor, dean of Student Experience, expanded on why Roxas was chosen. “Katrina immigrated from the Philippines to the United States in 2015 and moved to the Potomac State campus as a nursing major in fall 2017. As a result of immigration and being new to this country as well as our community, Katrina experienced severe homesickness. She is ‘paying it forward’ by using her experience to help other students, especially first-time freshmen, deal with their own homesickness.”
Roxas implemented two on-campus events to help students who experience homesickness, Speed Friending and the Buddy System. These events offered students a support system and sense of belonging while they acclimated to campus life.
Additionally, Roxas was awarded the Keyser Rotary Club’s “Service Above Self” award during the College’s 81st Recognition Day Awards this past spring.