The Malin family of Seward, Neb., has been chosen as Iowa State’s 2002 Family of the Year.

The Family Weekend Committee of the Student Alumni Leadership Council has chosen a Family of the Year since the 1960s in conjunction with Family Weekend, said Ellen Dunseth, advisor to the SALC.

Choosing the family begins with an application process and is followed by an interview with the nominees.

Andy Malin, senior in industrial engineering, nominated his parents and siblings for the award this year.

“It was more or less just to say thank you to my parents and my siblings. This wasn’t an individual honor-but totally a family one, and also to show my gratitude to ISU,” Andy said.

Andy and his sister Elisabeth currently attend Iowa State. Two other Malins, Josh and Ben, graduated from Iowa State in May 2000.

Andy is actively involved in Iowa State. He is the president of Farmhouse Fraternity, a co-chair coach for Engineers’ Week’s Career Fair and the chairman of the Iowa State University Foundation Student Committee.

Elisabeth Malin, junior in elementary education, is a member of Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She serves as vice president for the Panhellenic Council, the governing body for all sororities, and is also a representative on the Student Foundation Committee.

Elisabeth said the fact that her brothers attended Iowa State had a big influence on her decision to also attend Iowa State.

“I just wanted to share in the memories and love for ISU that they had,” Elisabeth said.

Andy said he was contacted by Dunseth via a letter in the mail saying that his family had won. Andy said the letter explained the Malin family had won because of the family’s ongoing involvement in student, greek and other honorary organizations.

Dunseth said the Malin students have been very committed to Iowa State.

“The vast experience that they’ve had, I can’t even begin all the organizations they’re involved with – they’re involved with almost everything on campus,” Dunseth said.

She said the family won because of the commitment of the family to Iowa State as well as Andy’s impressive application and interviewing process.

“Andy presented the family very well as well as the parents’ involvement with their community,” Dunseth said.

John and Carlene Malin currently live in Seward, Neb., although they lived in Creston, Iowa for 11 years, Carlene Malin said.

John and Carlene didn’t know that Andy had nominated them until they received word saying they had won.

“We were really surprised by the honor and the fact that our children are so involved with every aspect of ISU,” Carlene said.

Carlene said she is grateful for the experiences that her children have received at Iowa State.

“With our love for family we just kind of assumed they’d go to the University of Nebraska to be close, but we were thrilled, especially because of their majors, that they chose ISU,” Carlene said.

Elisabeth shared her feelings about Andy’s nomination.

“I was honored that he would do that – our family is very close and it’s really neat.”

The family was introduced to Iowa State when the children were young and living in Creston, she said. “Our two older children did a lot with the Talented and Gifted Program and got the opportunity to spend time at honors programs at ISU,” Carlene said.

The family has remained committed to Iowa State, despite moving out of Iowa, Dunseth said.

“The family as a whole has given a lot to the university, to not even be a resident of the state and still send children here speaks highly for the family’s commitment to the university as well as for the University itself,” she said.

Dunseth said the family will be honored on several occasions this weekend. On Friday at 8 p.m. the Malins will be honored at the hypnotist performance. They will be recognized again Saturday at 8 a.m. at the ISU Parents’ Association breakfast. Finally the family will be announced and recognized between the third and fourth quarters of the football game against Troy State on Saturday.

Elisabeth said she and Andy do a good job of remembering what family is about while at Iowa State.

“We talk almost every day,” she said. “When you’re away from home it’s nice to have somebody here.”