O'Brien named Riverside City College Student of the Year

RIVERSIDE - Kailil O'Brien was named the Student of the Year Thursday afternoon at the Associated Students of Riverside City College - Student of Distinction Awards ceremony.

Head Men's Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Jim McCarron nominated O'Brien, a sophomore dual athlete on the Tigers' cross country and track and field teams, as a student of distinction before he went on to be selected as the RCC Student of the Year.

O'Brien embodies what it means to be a student-athlete, boasting a 3.9 GPA and excelling in his races. He is an eight-time All-Orange Empire Conference honoree in cross country and track and helped the Tigers win conference titles in both sports this year. O'Brien went on to earn All-American honors in cross country, as well as the 10K and 3K steeplechase in track, helping RCC win the 3C2A State Championship just last month.

McCarron describes O'Brien as "an exceptional team leader, a positive force among his peers, and a joy to coach and teach."

As part of his award for Student of the Year, O'Brien was awarded a $500 scholarship, which he will use as he continues his education next fall at UCLA, where he wants to major in communications.

Student athletic trainer Natalie Poole was also honored as a Student of Distinction for the Kinesiology Department.

(Sammi Wellman, Riverside City College Athletics)