Courtesy of California Polytechnic State University:

Eighteen California Polytech students were recognized for their awards and other accomplishments by state lawmakers on the floors of the state Assembly and Senate in Sacramento on Monday, Feb. 11. Among them was Jacob Winter, who graduated Liberty High School in 2015.

“These fine young men and women are among our best and brightest students,” said university President Jeffrey D. Armstrong, who is accompanying the group to Sacramento. “They will share the value of Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing education with our state lawmakers and university boosters.

Winter and the Cal Poly Interfraternity Council team won the Best Inter-Fraternity Council in the West award at the 2018 Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values West Conference last April in San Diego.

The “Best in the West – Jellison Award” recognizes outstanding performance in council management, philanthropy and community service, public relations, risk reduction and management, self-governance and judicial affairs in its division.

Winter, a construction management senior, has served as the chief of staff of the Cal Poly Interfraternity Council as well as president of the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity, which annually raises $5,000 to $8,000 for the family of 7-year-old Mateo Cota, who is battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

“As Greek life can often be overlooked by others — especially those who weren’t Greek themselves — I am happy to be able to positively represent our organizations and the accomplishments we have achieved over the last several years,” said the 21-year-old.

Greek life at Cal Poly includes 36 organizations with approximately 3,600 students — about one in six students on campus.

Winter, who will graduate in June, plans to pursue a career as a project engineer at a Seattle-based general contractor.

The group was introduced to the Senate by Majority Leader Bill Monning, D-Carmel, and to the Assembly by Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, R-San Luis Obispo. Both men represent San Luis Obispo County.

Ceremonies were held in each chamber Monday afternoon.

The majority of the students call California home — from the Bay Area to San Diego — and two are from outside the Golden State —Nevada and Washington.

Each has distinguished himself or herself, as an individual or on a team that has received a national industry award or in other high-profile events. These include the Tournament of Roses Parade, with its worldwide TV audience of 100 million; the concrete canoe team that won the national championship; and the prestigious Walt Disney Imagineering design competition.

The group also met with family, friends and alumni at a reception in Walnut Creek on Feb. 10 and another at a Sacramento law firm later on Feb. 11.