Gardner-Webb Hosts 67th Academic Awards Day to Recognize Student Achievement

Each Winner Honored with Book Added to Dover Library Collection

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—Gardner-Webb University recently recognized undergraduate students for academic excellence on the 67th Academic Awards Day. Winners of these awards exemplify the University’s core values of faith, service and leadership in their classrooms and communities.

In honor of the award, each student may choose one book for purchase by Gardner-Webb’s Dover Memorial Library. The book will be inscribed with the student’s name and the date of the award recognition.

Department of Exercise Science

The Most Outstanding Major Pre-Professional Award recipient is Isabel Frances Eigenbauer, a senior from Dacula, Ga.

The Most Outstanding Major Health Fitness Award is presented to Weslyn Joy Almond, a senior from Albemarle, N.C.

The Most Outstanding Major in Health Sciences Concentration Award winner is Meredith Margaret Ferguson, a senior from Vale, N.C.

Hunt School of Nursing

The Grace C. Lee Nursing Award recipient is Casey Brooke Almond, a senior from Dallas, N.C.

The Outstanding BSN Award is presented to Destiny Shyanne Tennille Neesmith, a senior from Kings Mountain.

The Outstanding Major for the Bachelor of Science in Sport Education Award goes to Brandon William Thoms, a senior from Cowpens, S.C.

Department of Public Service

The Criminal Justice Administration Leadership Award is presented to:

• Anthony Karl Schiess, a junior from Cary, N.C.
• Calee Mykeal Lance, a senior from Rosman, N.C.
• Austin Michael McKay, a junior from Aiken, S.C.
• Kellan Kiley Culver, a junior from Charlotte, N.C.

The Criminal Justice Administration Senior Award recipients are:

• Abigail Catherin Vowell, of Cornelius, N.C.
• Ysabela Corina Cable, of Nebo, N.C.
• Lakota Marie Comeau, of Taneytown, Md.
• Alan Elijah Bowers, of Matthews, N.C.
• Alexander Reid Weissinger, of Chesapeake, Va. 

The Criminal Justice Administration Professional Readiness Award winners are:

• Kurt Everett, of Medina, Ohio
• Sierra Grace Warren, of Shelby, N.C.

Department of Music

The First Year Music Award recipient is Lauren Sudduth, of Central, S.C.

The Symphonic Band Award is presented to Kaitlin Abigail Craig, of Mount Holly, N.C.

The Orchestra Award winners are:

• Christopher Chase Thornhill, of Madisonville, La.
• Garrett Nathaniel Chitwood, of Bessemer City, N.C.

The recipient of the Music Achievement Award is Caleb Etchison, of Stanley, N.C

The David M. Schweppe Memorial Music Award winner is Madeline Bame Branham, of Gastonia, N.C.

Department of Visual Arts

The Elizabeth Carlisle Jones Art Award is presented to Hannah Felipa Smith, of Vienna, Va.

The Professor James Rash Award recipient is Katie Jones Canipe, of Shelby, N.C.

The Art History Research Award is given to Jessica McKinley Snover, of Fountain Inn, S.C.

Department of Theatre Arts

The recipients of The Alpha Psi Omega/Alfred & Shirley Wampler Caudill Awards are as follows:

• For Excellence in Theatre the recipient is Marshall Wayne Townsend, of Charlotte, N.C.
• For Excellence in Acting the award is presented to Markus Ryan Byrd, of Kannapolis, N.C.
• The Excellence in Technical Theatre Award goes to Mary Elysabeth Thompson, of Shelby, N.C.

Department of World Languages, Literature, and Cultures

The First Year German Award is presented to Micah David Zehnder, of Shelby, N.C.

The recipient of the Spanish Award is Haley Lorraine Pierce, of Jamestown, N.C.

The American Sign Language Award winner is Linda Nicole Gelzer, of Bellevue, Wash.

The French Award is presented to Alexandria Nicole Roycraft, of Boca Raton, Fla.

College of Education

The English Education Award recipient is Madison Katelyn Hedgepeth, of Shelby, N.C.

The Teacher Education Scholarship Award is presented to Allyson Call Rideout, of Old Fort, N.C.

The Elementary Education Student Teaching Award recipient for the Boiling Springs Campus is Hannah Elisabeth Cody, of Gastonia, N.C., graduated in Fall 2020.

The Elementary Education Student Teaching Award in the Degree Completion Program is presented to Lauren Elizabeth Bradley, of Shelby, N.C., graduated in Fall 2020.

The Specialty Area Student Teaching Awards are given to:

• Madeline Bame Branham, of Gastonia, N.C., in Music Education
• Madison Katelyn Hedgepeth, of Shelby, N.C., in Spanish Education

The Residency Teacher Academic Excellence Award recipients are:

• Amber Leigh Tyson, of Point Harbor, N.C.
• Lori Kinnamon Murray, of Kannapolis, N.C.
• Tracie Little Rowell, of Salisbury, N.C.

The TA2TP (Teacher Assistant to Teacher Program) Academic Excellence Award is presented to Melissa Wells Ramsey, of Shelby, N.C.

TA2TP Grit Award goes to Terri Wilkie Allen, of Rutherfordton, N.C.

The recipient of the Secondary Student Teaching Award is Alethea Marie Seaman, of Shelby, N.C., in Mathematics Education.

School of Psychology and Counseling

The Psychology Award recipients are:

• Sierra Grace Warren, of Shelby, N.C.
• Gracie Suzanne Chapman, of Taylorsville, N.C.

College of Business

The Accounting Award is given to Ian Heath, of Pilot Mountain, N.C.

The Thomas J. Meaders Business Administration Award winner is Hendrik Kortgödde, of Kaarst.

The recipient of the Economics Award is Benjamin Spicer LaSpaluto, of Apex, N.C.

The Finance Award is presented to Austin Daniel Evans, of Accident, Md.

The Sport Management Award is given to Emily Brooke Walker, of Stanley, N.C.

The recipient of the Healthcare Management Award is Karely Chavez-Callejas, of Hickory, N.C.

The International Business Award winner is Lindsey Elaine Koppel, of Dripping Springs, Texas.

The Alfred & Shirley Wampler Caudill Marketing Award is presented to Emily Brooke Walker, of Stanley, N.C.

The Wallace Carpenter Management Information Systems Award is given to Makayla Elizabeth Fewster, of Harrisburg, N.C., graduated in Fall 2020.

The Broyhill Achievement Award recipient is Leanne Michelle Hindman, of Denver, N.C.

The John and Linda Godbold Award is presented to Lindsey Elaine Koppel, of Dripping Springs, Texas.

Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy

The recipient of the M. Vann Murrell Academic Award is Hannah Marie O’Brien, of Conover, N.C.

The Alice Cullinan Discipleship Studies Award recipients are:

• Avery Lynn Woods, of Jacksonville, N.C.
• Emily Raeanne Sugg, of Seagrove, N.C.

The Biblical Studies Award is presented to Hannah Marie O’Brien, of Conover, N.C.

The Jack Partain Missiology Award recipient is Mekenna Rae Boswell, of Mocksville, N.C.

Department of Social Sciences

The Sociology Award winners are:

• Jasmine Noelle Dee, of Dallas, N.C.
• Natalia Yarulin, of Kings Mountain, N.C.

The First Year History Award is presented to Caleb Lee Cook, of Hudson, N.C.

The recipient of the Political Science Award is Tremayne Marceles Booker, of Gastonia, N.C.

The J.O. Terrell History Award is given to Alexander Henry Trofinoff, of Matthews, N.C.

The Global Studies Award is presented to Gelica Brianne Champion, of Cliffside, N.C.

Department of Natural Sciences

The Paul J. Stacy Award in Biology recipient is Zoha Mueez Aamir, of Cherryville, N.C.

Department of Mathematical Sciences

The First Year Mathematics Achievement Award is presented to James Trevor Wyatt, of Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Mathematics Major Award is given to Benjamin Spicer LaSpaluto, of Apex, N.C.

The Computer Science Major Award is presented to Billy Ray Pilkin, of Shelby, N.C., graduated in Fall 2020.

The Mathematics Education Award winner is Alethea Marie Seaman, of Shelby, N.C.

Department of English Language and Literature

The recipient of the Senior English Major Award is Samantha Belle Wilkie, of Hendersonville, N.C.

The Professional Writing Award is presented to Morgan Elizabeth Bennett, of Maiden, N.C.

Department of Communication and New Media

The Communication Studies Award recipient is Benjamin Joseph Schade, of Apex, N.C.

The recipient of the Journalism Award is Bless Lateia Bull, of Gastonia, N.C.

The Photography Award is presented to Lindy Michaela Lynch, of Anderson, S.C.

The Graphic Design Award is given to Macie Renee Latham, of Advance, N.C.

The Public Relations Award recipient is Louis Hadley Frink, of Holly Springs, N.C.

Life of the Scholar Best Paper Awards

The recipients of the Alfred & Shirley Wampler Caudill Life of the Scholar Multidisciplinary Conference Best Paper Awards are:

• First Place—Jane Bozzini, of Charlotte, N.C., for her paper “Viewing the ‘Me Too’ Movement Through a Feminist Theory Lens,” Dr. Dianne Sykes, Mentor.
• Runner-up—Michelle Patricia Lominac, of Conover, N.C., for her paper “Disrupting the System:  How Harriet Beecher Stowe Used Uncle Tom’s Cabin to Challenge Calvinistic Ideals of Christianity,” Dr. June Hobbs, Mentor.

Located in the North Carolina foothills, Gardner-Webb University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university. Gardner-Webb emphasizes a strong student-centered experience and rigorous academics to prepare students to become effective leaders within the global community. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.