Honors Convocation recognizes MC students, faculty’s academic, service achievements
MC President Blake Thompson presents medals to senior Honors College students Xavian Branch and Kayleigh Canoy during the 2025 Honors Convocation.
Mississippi College students and faculty who have distinguished themselves through excellence in scholarship, service and leadership were recognized during the 2025 Honors Convocation on April 24 in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church Clinton.
The ceremony is a revival of MC’s traditional Honors Day celebration that had once been an annual event at the Christian University.
Two of the top faculty awards – the Distinguished Professor of the Year Award and the Student Government Association Faculty of the Year Award – were presented to Ivan Parke, MC professor of Christian Studies. Parke, who has courageously continued his faculty duties despite being diagnosed with ALS in January, received a standing ovation.
J. Mignon Kucia, MC professor of communication and a member of the Honors Convocation Committee, said the event shines a spotlight on student and faculty excellence.
“This meaningful ceremony provides an opportunity for us to recognize and celebrate outstanding academic and service achievement by our students and to award top faculty honors,” Kucia said. “I am grateful to (MC President) Dr. Blake Thompson and (MC Provost and Executive Vice President) Dr. Mike Highfield for working with the Faculty Senate and the Honors Convocation Committee to host this special event, and I look forward to this becoming a part of every spring semester at Mississippi College.”
Highfield said the awards reflect “not just academic success, but the deep commitment to living out our mission as a Christ-centered institution.”
Christopher Weeks, MC associate professor and director of the Honors College, recognized the four students selected for the MC Hall of Fame, Ashley Grace Bassett, Xavian Branch, Conner Dyess and Sarah Beth Stambaugh, and the Scott-Swor Founders Award winner, Janie Gray.
Weeks also announced academic award recipients from each school and recognized the Honors College Class of 2025.
“It was a joy to see the variety of achievements celebrated at Honors Convocation, and it was fitting that all of the departments from all of the schools on campus were represented,” Weeks said.
“Days like this send a message that MC is a place that values academic excellence, and it signals that MC values its students.”
Thompson and Highfield recognized the Marshall and Fulbright Scholarship nominees, the Perry Award recipients and the Carol C. West Faculty Advocate Award. The Pittman Young Faculty Award, the Distinguished Professor of the Year Award, the Student Government Association Faculty of the Year and the recipient of the Tribesman dedication were also revealed during the ceremony.
Thompson concluded the awards presentation by congratulating the students and faculty members.
“To our students . . . and to our distinguished faculty members who have been honored today, you represent the very best of Mississippi College,” he said.
Honors Convocation Award Recipients
2025 Hall of Fame- Ashley Grace Bassett, Xavian Branch, Conner Dyess and Sarah Beth Stambaugh
2025 Scott-Swor Founders Award- Janie Gray
School of Business
The G.M. Rogers Memorial Award- Anna Marie Rutledge
The Beta Gamma Sigma Scholarship- Kayleigh Elizabeth Canoy, Anna Kathryn Charbonnet, Joseph Russell Henry and Rebecca Elaine Stafford
The Mississippi Society of CPAs Award- Brooke Lynn Neal and Shaun Michael Williams
The Outstanding Entrepreneurship Major Award- Meleah Lynn Brunson
The Outstanding Finance Major Award- Jonathan James Crump and Jeffrey James Liddell
The Outstanding Graduate Student in Accounting- Marion Mignette Scott
The Outstanding Graduate Student in MBA- Williette Kingdom
The Outstanding Marketing Major Award- Abigail Joyce Moak and Emily Rebekah Scott
The Wall Street Journal Award- Preston Armstrong Speed
The CFA Society of Mississippi Award- David Michael Horn
School of Christian Studies and the Arts
Department of Art
The Samuel Marshall Gore Art Undergraduate Award- Elaine H. Hill
The Samuel Marshall Gore Art Graduate Award- Lanie Christine Bradford
The Alex Ettl Sculpture Undergraduate Award- Allison L. Harvey
The Art Faculty Rising Star Award- Catherine Taylor Dean and Gabriel Dante Williams
The Art Faculty Graduate Rising Star Award- Madeline Sarah Brown.
Department of Christian Studies
The H.M. King Memorial Scholarship Award- Joseph Daniel Bouligny
The Mr. and Mrs. Everett Cole Scholarship Award- Braden Gage Smith
The Norman E. O’Neal Religious Education Award- Martha Elizabeth Farnham and Austin Blake Lane
Department of Communication
The Hollis and Julia Todd Award- Emma Kay Ellard
Department of Music
The Juliette Burnette Memorial Scholarship- Oliver Price Gibbs
The Sam and Wilda Williams Scholarship- Jared Matthew Brownlee
The Mary Nelson Piano Award- Anna “McKaime” Patrick
The Presser Scholarship- Caitlin Barnes Vickery
School of Education
Department of Counseling Students of the Year
Caleb Ginn (Mental Health Counseling)
Carley Hudspeth (Marriage and Family Counseling)
Morgan Campbell (School Counseling)
Jodi Jackson (Education Specialist in Counseling)
Benita Weems (Doctorate of Professional Counseling)
Department of Kinesiology
The Coach Joel K. “Hap” and Johnnie Ruth Hudson Endowed Kinesiology Award- Kiersten Mikel Selman
The Outstanding Graduate Student in Kinesiology- Kyle K.H. So
Department of Psychology
The Outstanding Student Researcher Award- Lauren Grace Bonge
The Psi Chi Award- Matthew Anthony Hicks
The Outstanding Senior Psychology Award- Ava Corin Mury
Department of Teacher Education and Leadership
The J.M. Lassetter Education Award- Thian Wesley Sumrall
The Alan D. Lowe Secondary Education Honor Student of the Year- Joel Thaxton Gibson
The Eugene I. Farr Scholarship- Carson Dexter Smith
The Glenda Locke White Elementary Education Honor Student of the Year- Natalie Thanh Thao Nguyen (Wen)
The J.D. and Bertha McDonald Scholarship- Thaddeus Ford Bishop
The Kappa Delta Pi Ann Wilson Clark Memorial Scholarship- Lauren Elizabeth Wallace
The Jack B. Carmean Memorial Scholarship- Lydia Elizabeth Barrow and Jailynn Nicoe Riley
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department of English
Dr. John Meadors Scholarship- Jonathan Edward Dacus and Merrin O’Connell Meyer
The Excellence in English Education Award- Betsy Carol Hart
The Psi Zeta Chapter Award- Ann Mabry Dean
The Sarah A. Rouse English Award- Merrin O’Connell Meyer
The Sigma Tau Delta Freshman Composition Award- Colin Michael Brannon
The Susan H. Lassiter English Award- Hannah N. Jarreau
The Kerri S. Jordan Writing Award- Carson Kendall Hughes and Robert Winston Pennell
Department of History and Political Science
The Administration of Justice Award- Ashley Michele McCollum
The Edward L. McMillan Award for Excellence in History- Callie Elizabeth Martin
The Martha Hudson Social Studies Education Teacher in Training Award- Carson Dexter Smith
The Outstanding Senior in Pre-Law Award- Keiwon Rodgers
The P. I. Lipsey Jr. Award in European History- Rachel Grace Duncan
The Phi Alpha Theta Outstanding Freshman in History Award- Elizabeth E. Simon
The Anna Plunkett Outstanding Senior in Paralegal Studies Award- Zully Dayan Lopez
The Outstanding Senior in Political Science Award- Katherine Leigh Johnson and Riley Jean Manibog
Department of Modern Languages
The Excellence in TESOL Award- Ellie Grace Barham
The Porter/Trott Memorial Award- Jonathan Edward Dacus
The Charles E. Martin Memorial Award- Jane Elizabeth Sherwood
The Earl Thompson Alpha Mu Gamma Scholarship- Anna Elise Crout
Department of Social Work
The Senior Social Work Award- Isabella Camile Danczyk
School of Law
Hearin Scholars- Jordan Cobb, John Cottingham, Whitney Dowell, Michael Gillespie, May Herbert, Thomas Jones, Nathan Lucas, Joel Meek, Presley Rice and Emily Sanchez
School of Nursing
The Balfour Award- Kyndall G. Porter
The Frances J. and Walter B. McGuffee Memorial Scholarship- Makhala A. Berry
The John D. and Natoma C. Nobles Scholarship- Shelby C. Knighten
Public Health Department
The Danny Bender Scholar Award- Madison Lea Morgan
School of Science and Mathematics
Department of Biology
The AED Health Science Pre-Professional Award- Causey Lane Simmons
The Herman A. Waggener Jr. Biology Award- Abigail Reese Veidmark
The Bailey Biology Award- Carson Elizabeth Jones
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The John Q. and Cora Izard Memorial Scholarship- Alana Latorre and Caroline Brooke McCaleb
The Joseph Barnhill Memorial Award- Hanna Katherine Bynum and Jaylen Elijah Vance
Department of Computer Science
The Senior Computer Science Award- Nash Joseph Euto
Department of Mathematics
The Senior Mathematics Award- Robert Winston Pennell and Adelaide Hannah Zink
The Carl Brewer Memorial Award- Charles Donovan Hight and Linda Chantal Kingma
The Epsilon Delta Academic Achievement Award- Robert Winston Pennell
The James V. Burnside Scholarship- Jacob Richard Parker
The W.E. Strange Award- Thian Wesley Sumrall
Department of Engineering and Physics
The Senior Electrical Engineering Award- Jonathan Alexander Jones
The Senior Physics Award- Eden Marie Martin
Honors College Class of 2025- Faith Jane Anderson, Ashley Grace Bassett, Amelia Grace Boskovich, Xavian Rojun Branch, Kayleigh Elizabeth Canoy, Makena Joy Dashiell, Andrew D. Doubert, Eliott McGinley Franklin, Oakley David Gibbs, Brynn Elaine Holbrook, Carson Kendall Hughes, Carson Elizabeth Jones, Robert Winston Pennell, Brady Paul Permenter and Jack Thomas Spears.
Marshall and Fulbright Scholarship Nominee
Carson Hughes, Marshall Scholarship nominee
Jack-Thomas Spears, Fulbright Scholarship nominee
The Perry Academic Awards- Kayleigh Elizabeth Canoy, finance; Nash Joseph Euto, computer science; Carson Elizabeth Jones, biology; Madison Lea Morgan, public health; Chloe Nicole Newton, communication; Robert Winston Pennell, English; Braden Gage Smith, Christian studies; and Megan Pearl Wells, education
The Carol C. West Faculty Advocate Award- John Travis
The Pittman Young Faculty Award- Courtney Thompson
The Distinguished Professor of the Year Award- Ivan Parke
Student Government Association Faculty of the Year Award- Ivan Parke
The Tribesman Dedication Presentation- Beth Everett
