FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brimley, MI – February 19, 2026 – Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) is proud to announce and celebrate its two distinguished Students of the Year for 2026. This year, the College honors both a standout Native student receiving national recognition and an exceptional non-Native student who embodies the spirit of the Pikes.
Nicole Maleport has been named the College Fund Student of the Year, while Victor Chugunov has been selected as the BMCC Student of the Year. Both students will be recognized for their dedication to their studies, their leadership, and their contributions to the campus community.
"We are thrilled to congratulate Nicole and Victor on this well-deserved honor," said BMCC President, Dr. Duane Bedell. "I am extremely proud of Nicole and Victor for being selected as Students of the Year. This recognition reflects not only their academic achievement, but also the positive impact they have made within our campus community through their commitment, leadership, and respect for others. Their engagement with faculty, peers, and the broader college community embodies the values of service, responsibility, and perseverance that are central to our mission as a tribal college. I look forward to witnessing their continued academic growth and the contributions they will make to their communities in the years ahead."
Nicole Maleport, College Fund Student of the Year
Nicole Maleport is from the Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, area. She is pursuing an associate degree in Native Studies and Anishinaabe Language Instructor at Bay Mills Community College (BMCC). She has a passion for learning. While living away from home, she developed an interest in holistic teachings. Gardening, Thai massage, yoga, arts, and traditional lifeways enrich her. In the fall of 2021, Nicole began taking classes at BMCC while still living away. Over time, it became clear that home was calling her back. There was no better way to pursue the Anishinaabe language and deepen her understanding of her Ojibwe culture than to return to her home area, where she is actively involved in learning the Ojibwe language and participating in cultural events. These experiences teach about our interconnectedness and ways to carry bimadaaziwin for future generations. When she’s not busy with schoolwork or at work, she enjoys being outside, exploring nature, watching the shorelines, and being creative and crafty in a myriad of media, especially sewing.
Victor Chugunov, BMCC Student of the Year
Victor Chugunov was born in 2006 in LaGrange, Indiana. His parents and older sister immigrated from Russia in 1998 and have lived in the United States since. Victor lived in Indiana for the first several years of his life before his family moved to the small town of Constantine, Michigan, where he attended first through sixth grades. In fourth grade, he became interested in playing music and joined the school band, playing the baritone all the way through his high school graduation. After finishing sixth grade, his family moved again to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, where he still resides. He attended seventh and eighth grade and all of high school in the Sault, graduating from Sault Area High School in 2024. Victor began attending Bay Mills Community College that same year and is on track to graduate in May 2026. Victor stated, "I am beyond honored to be selected as the non-Native student of the year at BMCC."
Both students will be honored at the 2026 BMCC Commencement Ceremony in the spring, and our American Indian College Fund Student of the Year will be honored at a ceremony in Bismarck, North Dakota in March amongst AICF honorees from other Tribal colleges.
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