As students, she and her brother, Brandon Riffel, nominated their family for the award in 1996, and they won.
This year, Dana’s younger daughter, Avery, a sophomore in Biology Education, nominated her family – including older sister Morgan (BS Biology ‘24), younger sister Reese, and parents Dana (BA Communication ‘97, MSEd ‘03) and Joe (BS Plastics Engineering Technology ‘97) -- for the award.
Once again, Dana’s family was chosen – except this time, she’s the parent, not the child. During halftime of the Gorilla Football game against Emporia State, they'll be recognized as the 2024 Honorary Family.
Sponsored by the PSU Foundation and Advancement Ambassadors, the recipients of this annual award are selected by a committee based on a student-submitted nomination and essay about the student’s family involvement, school spirit, and Gorilla legacy.
The Blubaugh family’s roots run deep: Joe proposed to Dana at University Lake in 1997 when they were both seniors. Today, that site is where Gorilla fans of all ages, including the Blubaughs, congregate before football games for tailgating, Gorilla Walk, and Game Day pep rallies.
In 2000, Dana, a resident of Shawnee, Kansas, began working as a regional recruiter for the Office of Admission in 2000 and has been “reliving college for a living and spreading the good word about Pitt State” ever since, she said. Joe works as a referee for the NFL and is a territory sales manager for GOEngineer.
“Joe and I never pressured Morgan or Avery to be Gorillas, but their hearts felt the pull toward Pittsburg, too,” Dana said. “We may live in Kansas City, but The Jungle will always feel like home!”
Avery and Morgan, now a student at KU School of Medicine, are third generation Gorillas: their paternal grandmother earned her MA in Education.
From the moment each girl was born, they were squeezed into a Pitt State onesie or cheerleading uniform.
“From then on it was the football home opener, Family Day, Homecoming, or any other excuse we could find to make the two-hour drive south to Pittsburg,” Avery wrote in her nomination. “I have been enjoying time on this campus since before I could walk – I actually have a photo of me at 4 months old wearing a ‘Future Pitt State Gorilla’ shirt!”
In addition to being involved at Pitt State, the family also puts a priority on service: they have served in leadership roles and volunteer capacities in schools, community committees, and philanthropic organizations.
On campus, Avery is a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma, Honors College Association, Biology club, and many other organizations. This is also where she found her calling, combining her love for science and her desire to impact the lives of young people.
“The decision to attend Pitt State has been the most influential of my life because it allowed me to confidently choose which career I want to pursue,” Avery explained.
Last March, she declared her major: Biology with an emphasis in Education.
“I can’t begin to show my excitement through written words, but getting to be an educator in a few short years fills me with joy and pride,” she said. “My maternal grandparents were teachers for 33 years, my paternal grandma was a career educator, and getting to carry on their legacy is my life’s purpose.”
-- Pitt State --