Ben Lesniak of Butler was recognized by the United States Coast Guard Academy for superior academic achievement and leadership potential.Lesniak attends Knoch High School and has accepted an appointment to attend the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., and will be sworn in June 27 as a member of the Class of 2015.He is the son of Larry and Michelle Lesniak of Butler and the grandson of Bob and Kathy Weleski Sr. of Cabot.

———Cole Warner has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship by Butler County Ford and the Ford Motor Company.Warner is a 2011 graduate of the Moniteau High School FFA and plans to study agricultural extension at Penn State Behrend.He is the son of Vincent and Carol Warner of Slippery Rock.

———Madelynn Reed Marburger of Evans City was inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma, an international honor society serving business programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.Membership is the highest recognition a business student can receive in a business program accredited by AACSB International.Marburger is a senior accounting student at Penn State Behrend. After graduating in May, she will begin employment with the accounting firm Enrst&Young in Pittsburgh.

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Elizabeth Milo of Zelienople performed the role of Tessy in “The Miss Firecracker Contest,” which was performed in April at the Ace Morgan Theatre at Denison University in Granville, Ohio.Milo was also inducted into the Denison chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honorary. Milo is a member of the class of 2011.

———Penn State Erie, the Behrend College, presented more than 200 awards April 21 at its 62nd Annual Honors and Awards Convocation. Local students recognized during the ceremony include:

Samantha Kristufek of Butler received the Academic Excellence in Chemistry Award from the School of Science.

Braden Davis of Butler received a Penn State Behrend Honors Program Award, which is given to students who completed at least nine honors credits while maintaining a minimum 3.2 grade-point average each semester through their sophomore year.

Ashley Macarthur of Butler received an Evan Pugh Scholar Award, which honors those juniors and seniors who were in the upper 0.5 percent of their respective class at the end of the fall semester of each academic year, and the Accounting IMA Award from the Sam and Irene Black School of Business.

Vincent Rice of Harmony received the Irvin H. Kochel Award, presented annually to an undergraduate student who demonstrates outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership and citizenship through their involvement in programs and services that positively influence fellow students and have contributed to the Penn State Behrend community.

Dominic Sarachine of Harmony received a Penn State Behrend Honors Program Award.

Sarah Smith of Herman received an Irvin H. Kochel Lion Ambassador Award.

Maureen Cress of Mars received the Female Intramural Award.

Michael Fultz of Mars received the Best Contributing History Major from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Matthew Wingert of Mars received a Penn State Behrend Honors Program Award.

Kazie Reuschel of Renfrew received a Penn State Behrend Honors Program Award.

Sarah Scott of Valencia received a Penn State Behrend Honors Program Award.

Zachary Franiewski of West Sunbury, received a Penn State Behrend Honors Program Award.

Caleb Rodgers of West Sunbury received the Pride of the Lion Award and accepted the Outstanding Program Award on behalf of the Lion Entertainment Board for Behrend After Dark.

Elizabeth Helbling of Zelienople received an Outstanding Student Organization Officer Award.

———Westminster College’s Language in Motion program hosted 90 high school students from Wilmington Area School District on April 18 for the fifth annual Foreign Language Intercultural Day.Five students were selected to make presentations and guide activities, including two local students:

Luke Franchuk, a senior history major, is a son of Gary and Patrice Franchuk of Butler and a graduate of Shady Side Academy.

Brooke Lyon, a senior Spanish major, is a daughter of James and Barbara Lyon of Butler and a graduate of Butler High School.

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Eric Sepich of Saxonburg was honored March 27 during the third annual Saint Francis University School of Arts and Letters academic recognition program. He received the department award for outstanding academic achievement in psychology.

———Thirteen Saint Francis University students presented papers Feb. 21 at Susquehanna University’s seventh annual Undergraduate Literature and Creative Writing Conference, including the following local students:

Brittany Baker of Cabot and

Mike Porter of Fenelton.

———Westminster College secondary education minors conducted March Madness, a family literacy event, March 29 at Campbell Middle School in Campbell, Ohio.The Westminster students are from the secondary education literacy class Reading in the Content Area. Activities included instruction in three literacy strategies that could be used in many content areas.The following local students participated:

Luke Franchuk of Butler and

Travis Kellar of Harrisville.