Milligan students honored at Annual Awards Convocation

Published 3:37 pm Friday, April 21, 2023

Milligan University’s Awards Convocation, held Thursday, April 20, celebrated the university’s outstanding students and their accomplishments. The faculty and administration announced nearly 100 awards and scholarships during the annual ceremony.

Milligan’s most distinguished student honor, the Ivor Jones Outstanding Senior Award, is presented to a graduating senior who demonstrates outstanding performance in service to the university, potential for continuing the objectives of Milligan, academic excellence and participation in college life. This year, Olivia Brokaw of Lexington, S.C., received the honor.

Other award recipients include:

Biblical Learning: Grayce Wise (Greenville, S.C.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award; Mycole O’Connor (Colleyville, Texas), Earl R. Stuckenbruck Award for Excellence in Greek; Bethany Hicks (Sugar Grove, N.C.), Fred and Esther Meding Honorary Award for Biblical Studies; Blake Ellis (La Habra, Calif.), Outstanding Promise in Christian Education Award; Madeline Manear (Falston, Md.), W. Dennis Helsabeck/Stone-Campbell Journal Promising Scholar Award

Business: Christopher “Kit” Curtis (North Myrtle Beach, S.C.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award; Hayden Charles (Johnson City, Tenn.), Bill Rhoades Outstanding Accounting Student Scholarship; Brantley Hare (Johnson City, Tenn.), Richard Phillips Outstanding Legal Studies Student Scholarship; Lindsey Crossgrove (Wauseon, Ohio), Eugene P. Price Excellence in Economics Award; Bethanie Quarton (Ohio, Ill.), Business Administration Award

Computer Science: Alexander Hamilton Stephens (Flowery Branch, Ga.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award; Jake Maynard Crow (Simpsonville, S.C.), Computer Science Award; Evan Hunter Henson (Gallatin, Tenn.), Information Systems Award

Education: Olivia Roe (Elizabethton, Tenn.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award; Gabrielle Mardis Charles (Johnson City, Tenn.), Paul Clark Teacher Education Award; Emelie Seeley (Elizabethton, Tenn.), Delta Kappa Gamma Outstanding Teaching Award; Kristen Dempsey (Bristol, Tenn.), Undergraduate Student Teaching Award

Engineering: Kaelyn Slaughter (Anderson, S.C.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award and Nuclear Fuel Services Scholarship Top Mechanical Engineering Rising Senior; Rachel Scheffer Connell (Lenoir City, Tenn.), Electrical Engineering Award; Parker Kent (Lenoir City, Tenn.), Mechanical Engineering Award; Grace Allen (Kingsport, Tenn.), Nuclear Fuel Services Scholarship Top Electrical Engineering Rising Senior

Exercise Science: Ethan Sanchez (Winchester, Calif.), Outstanding Student Scholarship; Ava Sorrentino (Waxhaw, N.C.), Coaching for Performance Award; Gracie Johns (Morristown, Tenn.), Fitness/Wellness Award; Morgan “Kate” Pendleton (Kingsport, Tenn.), Pre-Professional Award; Megan Jastrab (Apple Valley, Calif.), Sports Management Award

Humane Learning: Sam Arendale (Maryville, Tenn.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award; Travis Kyker (Travelers Rest, S.C.), English Award; Bethany Hicks (Sugar Grove, N.C.), Humanities Award

Nursing: Gabriella Lindsey MacPherson (Corona, Calif.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award; Katie Elizabeth Cronin (Greeneville, Tenn.) and Jared Andrew Whittenbarger (Kingston, Tenn.), Nursing Award

Performing, Visual and Communicative Arts: Emanuel John Mogaya (Tanzania), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award in Communications; Joseph Dykes (Johnson City, Tenn.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award in Music; Sydney Reeder (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award in Fine Arts; Lauren Petty (Jackson, Tenn.), Outstanding Senior Fine Arts Award; Hope Davis (Goshen, Ohio), Outstanding Vocal Ensemble Member Award; Joshua Nickens (Kingsport, Tenn.), Orchestra Award; Katherine Eldridge (Fort Payne, Ala.), Outstanding Senior Communications Student Award

Scientific Learning: Gabe Aquino (Blountville, Tenn.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award; Blake Fauver (Blountville, Tenn.), Dick Lura Honorary Pre-Med Award; Landon Brown (Chuckey, Tenn.) and Ali Burns (Johnson City, Tenn.), Lone L. Sisk Award; Ali Burns (Johnson City, Tenn.), Biology Award; Landon Brown (Chuckey, Tenn.), Chemistry Award; Alexandra Johnson (Greeneville, Tenn.), Mathematics Award

Social Learning: Madelyn Kelly (Johnson City, Tenn.), Outstanding Student Scholarship Award; Daniel Roshak (Arlington, Tenn.), Political Science Award; Hope Davis (Goshen, Ohio), Psychology Award

Scholarships awarded through Milligan’s Advancement Office were presented to Jaycie Jenkins (Gray, Tenn.), Gabrielle R. Jones Memorial Scholarship; Marius Grytdal (Moss, Norway) and Simen Haraldstad (Moss, Norway) Greer-Mahan Scholarship; Marinda Walls (Gray, Tenn.) received both the Guy and Rhea Oakes Scholarship and Wendy I. Walstrom Memorial Scholarship; Kira Ryan (Myrtle Beach, S.C.,) Jeremy S. Duncan Memorial Scholarship.

Receiving awards from Milligan’s Board of Trustees and Board of Advisors were Alex Windham (Acworth, Ga.), Outstanding Academic Student; Ali Burns (Johnson City, Tenn.), Outstanding Female Athlete; and Logan Hullette (Church Hill, Tenn.), Outstanding Male Athlete.

The Institute for Servant Leadership presented Madeline Turner of Poulsbo, Wash., with the Servant Leadership Honor.

Madeline Manear, of Fallston, Md., received the Student Development Leadership Award.

For research, the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Project Award was presented to Madeline Manear (Fallston, Md.). In addition, Manear, Brandon Kelly (Johnson City, Tenn.) and Kelli Griffin (Memphis, Tenn.) received Research Scholar Awards. The Outstanding Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor was awarded to Lori Mills, professor of psychology. The RISE Above Research Theme Awards were presented to Spencer Taylor (Bristol, Tenn.), Parker Kent (Lenoir City, Tenn.), Truc Bui (Jonesborough, Tenn.), Eli Dixon (Church Hill, Tenn.), Bennett Hawkins (Prosperity, S.C.), Derian Janeke (Middleburq, South Africa).

The SGA Student Distinguished Service Award was presented to Tiara Harvey (Johnson City, Tenn.). The SGA Faculty Appreciation Award was presented to Dr. Craig Farmer, the Joel O. and Mabel Stephens Chair of Bible, Associate Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities and professor of history and humanities, and Richard Whitaker, a Milligan University security guard, received the SGA Staff Appreciation Award.