Wayne State University seniors Sharon Bobryk of Sterling Heights and Kevin Brown of Eastpointe will receive the prestigious David D. Henry Award during the university’s biannual commencement ceremonies at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, in Cobo Arena. They are among about 2,000 students in the December graduating class. The award is given to a man and to a woman in the graduating class who have distinguished themselves through leadership, service and academic achievement.

Sharon Bobryk will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree, with a major in clinical laboratory science, from the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. A member of the Dean’s Student Advisory Council in the college, she served as president of the group for the 2004-05 academic year. She also served as president of the Clinical Laboratory Science Student Organization. Members recruit other students for the organization, provide tours of the college to prospective students and other visitors, and organize various fundraisers for charitable causes.

As a student representative on the board of directors of the Michigan Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (MSCLS), Bobryk wrote a bimonthly column for the newsletter and coordinated a student forum and silent auction fundraiser at the state meeting. This year, she was chosen by the MSCLS board as First-Year Professional Director representing recent graduates who are entering the workforce. She also is a member of the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and was chosen this year to chair the National Student Forum, which represents all students in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Bobryk is the recipient of several scholarships, including a Wayne State University Presidential Scholarship, and has received numerous honors and awards from professional organizations for her leadership and service at Wayne State and in the community.

Kevin Brown will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with a major in accounting, from the School of Business Administration. The school named him Outstanding Student of the Year for 2005. In 2004, he was honored at an event hosted by Crain’s Detroit Business as one of the outstanding minority business students at Wayne State.

As a member of the National Association of Black Accountants, Brown played a key role in reestablishing the WSU chapter and its professional event called the “Elements of Success.” He served as vice president of finance for the Association of Black Business Students and has been an active volunteer for public service events on behalf of the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Habitat for Humanity. He also was a patrol volunteer during Angel’s Night in Detroit.

In addition, he participated in the Walk to Cure Diabetes and has assisted at the Coalition on Temporary Shelter and with the business school’s annual E-Commerce Summer Camp for high school students.

Other service to the university and students includes involvement on the business school’s Student Senate, including a stint as president. Brown also established a close link between students and a major accounting firm to benefit students seeking careers. He has spoken to groups of high school students about preparation for college and was a tutor for students enrolled in introductory accounting courses. He has been awarded several scholarships while attending Wayne State.

Receiving honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from the university during commencement night will be William Davidson, philanthropist and owner of the Detroit Pistons, and Marian Wright Edelman, nationally known children’s advocate. Receiving Distinguished Alumni Awards will be Yousif B. Ghafari, founder and chairman of Ghafari Associates in Dearborn, and Angela Kennedy, vice president of clinical services for New Center Community Mental Health Services in Detroit.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students.