Wayne State College senior Sydney Escritt of Hebron received the Ron Holt Civic Engagement Award for the 2025-26 academic year, and Wayne businessman Carter “Cap” Peterson, a 1972 Wayne State graduate, received the Alumnus Civic Engagement Award during the annual Ron Holt Civic Engagement Awards banquet held April 16 on campus.
Lisa Nelson, director of the Service-Learning Program at Wayne State for more than a decade, received the inaugural Service-Learning Lifetime Achievement Award. Nelson is retiring from Wayne State in June.
Established in 2014, the Ron Holt Civic Engagement Award recognizes a graduating Wayne State senior who serves as an exemplary role model and contributes significantly to the service ethos of the campus and community. The award honors the work of Dr. Ronald Holt, a 1989 Wayne State alumnus and current Wayne State Foundation Trustee, known for his advocacy in LGBTQ+ wellness and civil rights.
The Civic Engagement Alumni Award honors a Wayne State alumnus community member who is civic-minded and exemplifies outstanding service on campus and in the community.
Upon graduation in May, Escritt will attend medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She intends to continue combining her interests in research, medicine, and service to improve patient care and community health.
Peterson serves as a Wayne State College Trustee, sits on the Foundation’s Executive Board, and is a member of the Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees. He is also president of Northeast Nebraska Insurance Agency and was honored as the 2005 National Professional Insurance Agent of the Year.
Peterson, along with his family and friends, established the Nana Peterson Endowed Scholarship at Wayne State. This scholarship honors the memory of his late wife, Nana Peterson, and celebrates her deep love for the Wayne community and Wayne State.
In September 2025, Peterson and his family received the inaugural Family of the Year Award from Wayne State and the Wayne State Foundation. Peterson recently received the Citizen of the Year Award from Wayne America.
Nelson has worked at Wayne State for 21 years.
In addition to serving as director of Wayne State’s Service-Learning Program, Nelson also serves as co-advisor of Wayne State’s Nebraska Delta chapter of Pi Gamma Mu, an honor society that recognizes excellence in the social and behavioral sciences. Nelson received Pi Gamma Mu’s Outstanding Alumni Award at the Pi Gamma Mu Centennial International Convention in 2024. Nelson was initiated into Pi Gamma Mu as an undergraduate student at Wayne State.
Find the complete information in the April 23 edition in The Wayne Herald or subscribe today by clicking here.
