NIU has named senior Shannon Finlayson as the 2003 Lincoln Laureate.

The award is bestowed upon one student from each of the state’s four-year degree-granting institutions.

Finlayson is a double major in computer science and secondary mathematics education.

“Shannon is one of the best students we have ever had come through the mathematics teacher certification program,” said Cindy Stecher in a press release. Stecher coordinates that program and nominated Finlayson for the award.

The Glendale Heights native received the honor from Gov. George Ryan in a ceremony Nov. 2 in Springfield. The award is reserved for students who have “demonstrated outstanding excellence in curricular and extra-curricular activities.”

Finlayson completed her computer science degree in May and will finish work on her education degree this week. She posted a near-perfect grade point average while participating in the Honors program.

As chapter president of the co-ed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, she helped raise $2,000 for Habitat for Humanity and volunteered to assist with fundraisers for AIDS and multiple sclerosis. Finlayson also organized a panel for the 2001 Northern Leadership Institute and was the public relations chair on the state board for the Illinois Education Association Student Program.

Finlayson also was one of 700 students nationwide selected by Microsoft to spend last summer as a software test engineer testing and revising software that will be released in the future.

“I always enjoyed helping people learn, even when I was a student just helping out friends,” she said in a press release. “But with students in my own classroom, it’s different. It’s not just helping them to get a good grade on a test, but actually teaching them everything they know about a topic. When my students finally hand in assignments, I’m always amazed. It’s like, ‘Wow, I helped teach them all of that!’”