More than 40 students and several student organizations at County College of Morris (CCM) were celebrated for their outstanding contributions during the 56th annual Campus Life Appreciation Dinner Dance (CLADD), held on Tuesday, May 6, at the Meadow Wood Manor in Randolph.
Established in 1969, this long-standing tradition recognizes individuals and groups who have enriched the CCM experience through their leadership, creativity and commitment to a vibrant campus environment. The 2025 CLADD honorees included student leaders, club members, performers, production staff, advisors and directors who played key roles in student organizations and performing arts productions throughout the academic year.
“This year, the clubs and organizations offered hundreds of great programs and increased the student body’s enthusiasm on campus,” said Don Phelps, director of Campus Life. “The student leaders sponsored conferences, speakers, celebrations, performers, tournaments and awareness events. It was a fantastic year of student engagement, and as always, it was hard to choose who to recognize.”
The 2025 CLADD honorees also represented a wide range of communities from across Morris County and beyond, including students from towns such as Budd Lake, Dover, Denville, Morristown, Parsippany, Rockaway, Sparta, and Randolph, reflecting the broad and engaged student body at CCM. Many are Class of 2025 graduates who received their degrees at the college’s commencement ceremony held on May 22.
Landon Tanyeri of Sparta, president of the Student Government Association, received the Trustees Service Award for his outstanding service and dedication to CCM. The Patton Award, presented to a student who exemplifies exceptional leadership and spirit, was awarded to Tyler Hamlett of Budd Lake. Recipients of the Distinguished Leaders Award included Anthony Bahr of Wharton, Ana Maria Castelan Illesca of Dover, Melinda Chase of Madison, Gabriel Harrison of Sparta, Jaden Leary of Wharton, Juan Marin de La Rosa of Parsippany, Sherlyn Mendez of Boonton, Amy Rajchel of Butler and Kathryn Tam of Montville.
Among the honorees, Hyron Gonzalez, Jr. of Budd Lake, Elizabeth Grant of Parsippany and Carolina Hunchak of Denville, stood out by receiving two awards each, recognizing their exceptional talent and commitment to the performing arts. Each was honored with a Performing Arts Musical Theatre Award and a Drama Award for their outstanding contributions to CCM’s theatrical productions.
Additional recipients of the Performing Arts Musical Theatre Award included Mak Cerrada-Shapiro of Florham Park, Sarah Kolpa of Wharton, Miah Moore of Landing, German Tatis Rosario of Union, Bryan Torres of Morris Plains, Charlie Valdez of Rockaway and Justice Vera of Budd Lake. Brenna Lamb of Ringwood received the Performing Arts Technical Award for behind-the-scenes excellence in production support. The Drama Award was also given to Ethan Abellard of Denville, Collin Eagen of Livingston, Georgina Lopez of Morristown, Diana Luba of Rockaway and Gwendolyn Rivera of Morris Plains. For outstanding work in dance, William Montoya of Dover and Leala Mills of Boonton were honored with Performance & Choreography Dance Awards. In addition, Andrew Berkemeyer of Randolph was honored with the Pinnacle Award for Leadership and Performance, celebrating his contributions in both leadership and the arts.
For their leadership and excellence in the campus activities, the Simmons Award went to Ruth Adams of Morris Plains, Didem Heath of Hackettstown and Hannah Mescavage of Belvidere. The Raulf Award was presented to Amanda Boyer of Budd Lake. The Educational Program of the Year Award was given to the Debate Society for its “Debate Series,” and to the Student Government Association and the Black Student Union for “Exploring Black History Through Music and Dance.” The Community Service Program of the Year Award honored the Performing Arts Club and Student Activities Programming Board for their event “CCM’s Got Talent,” along with the Medical Careers Club for providing “CPR Classes.”
Layla Giron of Dover was honored with the First Year Award for her strong contributions during her first year at CCM.
To learn more about the vibrant campus life at CCM, visit https://www.ccm.edu/meet-ccm/campus-life/.
