CANTON -- Two members of St. Lawrence University’s Dining Services staff are the first ever recipients of an award created by the Class of 2021 Council that honors staff members for their “dedication and commitment to bringing compassion and smiles to the St. Lawrence community.”

Members of the Class of 2021 gave standing ovations to Sean Pearson and John Staie as they each received the inaugural Kathleen Buckley Outstanding Staff Member Award on Friday, April 16, during the Class of 2021’s Last Lecture and Senior Class Awards ceremony.

“Sean and John are well known around campus for being overwhelmingly kind and considerate to all members of the student body,” the Class of 2021 Council said. “They put smiles on the faces of those who interact with them, and show a great amount of care in student happiness and overall well-being.”

Pearson has worked at St. Lawrence for the last 13 years in the Northstar Café where students know him best because of his “infectious smile.”

“Sean knows your name and always asks how your day is going,” Class of 2021 President Cooper McCrillis ’21 shared with his classmates during the ceremony. “We all felt his impact daily.”

Staie, who is in his 15th year working at the University, was described by McCrillis as “the mayor” of St. Lawrence’s main dining facility, Dana Dining Center, because of the “energy and vigor” with which he greets students when they arrive.

“John’s jovial greetings bring a smile to all of our faces,” McCrillis said. “His personality and positive outlook on life are things we should all remember as we prepare for life in the real world. John, you are the embodiment of what it means to be a Laurentian.”

The new award is named in memory of The Reverend Kathleen Buckley, St. Lawrence’s beloved University Chaplain for 19 years who passed away in January 2020.