2023 HONORS CONVOCATION
AWARD RECIPIENTS
Friday, May 5, 2023
5:15 p.m.
Brown Chapel
View the full Honors Convocation Program
Academic Department Awards
Alpha Chi National Honor Society
Alpha Chi is a national honor society comprised of more than 400,000 members from some 300 college and university chapters. Members of Alpha Chi, who rank in the top 10 percent of juniors, seniors, and graduate students, represent the best undergraduate scholarship in all academic fields at their institutions.
Inductees:
Kaleb Atkinson
Haley Bordelon
Tuyen Chau
Jo Hoffman
Emerson Horne
Tarif Islam
Mackenzie Newlan
Aiden Peterkin
Riana Seidenberg
Madeline Vacula
Mackenzie Williams
Art and Visual Culture Department
Nellie Lyons Studio Art Award
The purpose of this award is to recognize a Centenary student of any year whose major is or will be studio art. The studio art faculty select from students meeting those requirements a recipient who has created a body of work of exceptional promise.
Awardee: Emma Foster
2023 Research Conference Awards
Best in Visual Arts - Jan Gary for "Mori"
Best Oral Presentation in the Humanities - Visar Rraci for “The United States and the Independence of Kosovo: Examining US Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Military Intervention in the late 20th Century”
Best Oral Presentation in the Natural Sciences - Bryn Jenkins for “Evaluating Self-Masked Aldehydes for Free Aldehyde Content”
Best Oral Presentation in the Social Sciences - Remi Miller for “Effects of Changes in Gun Control Policy on the Frequency and Severity of Mass Shootings" and Lauren Warren for “Gender and Governing Bodies: The Intersection of Legal Precedents and Sociological Processes”
Best Poster Presentation - Anna DiMaggio for “The Evolution of a Common Man" and Alireza Moosavi Behbahani for “Computational methods for development of arbidol as a fusion inhibitor of the novel coronavirus”
Honorable Mention for Best Poster Presentation - Tarif Islam, Alireza Moosavi Behbahani, and Jonathan Okereke for “Phenolic Compound Production from Pathogen-Induced Plant Communication” and Michael Smith for "Calibrating Milikan's Oil Drop Apparatus"
Biology Department
AED Outstanding Contributions Award
This award is presented to a senior Alpha Epsilon Delta honor society member committed to both the College and the community.
Awardee: Rose Deshler
Biology Department Award for Academic Excellence
The Biology Department Award for Academic Excellence is presented to a senior student who has achieved academic excellence in overall studies.
Awardee: Rose Deshler
Chemistry Department
General Chemistry Achievement Award
This award is presented to a student who has shown outstanding achievement in General Chemistry.
Awardee: Kaleb Atkinson
Outstanding Achievement in Inorganic Chemistry Award
This award is presented to a student who has shown outstanding achievements in Inorganic Chemistry.
Awardee: Cassie Halford
Outstanding Achievement in Organic Chemistry Award
This award is presented to a student who has shown outstanding achievements in Organic Chemistry.
Awardee: Maddie Vacula
Senior Chemistry Academic Award
This award recognizes an outstanding senior chemistry or biochemistry major based on overall academic performance, performance on the departmental senior assessment exam and future plans.
Awardees: Bryn Jenkins, Payton Lii
Education Department
Hallquist Elementary Education Award
The Hallquist Elementary Education Award is presented to the outstanding graduating candidate in Elementary Education who has a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and who has met all requirements for Louisiana State Teacher Certification in Elementary Education, including obtaining passing scores on all parts of the PRAXIS (National Teachers’ Exam). Also, this student must have demonstrated leadership and creativity in planning, implementing, and evaluating instruction at the elementary level. This candidate must also exhibit all of the characteristics of a Centenary Dedicated Educator and must have shown extraordinary dedication to the profession.
Awardee:
Lyle Alford
Vroonland Secondary Education Award
The Vroonland Secondary Education Award is presented to the outstanding graduating candidate in Secondary Education who has a grade point average of 3.0 or higher, and who has met all requirements for Louisiana State Teacher Certification in his/her content area for Secondary Education, including obtaining passing scores on all parts of the PRAXIS (National Teachers’ Exam). Also, this student must have demonstrated leadership and creativity in planning, implementing, and evaluating instruction at the secondary level. This candidate must also exhibit all the characteristics of a Centenary Dedicated Educator and must have shown extraordinary dedication to the profession.
Awardee: Ashley Tyler
English Department
Audrey M. Smith Poetry Award
This award is presented to the full-time Centenary student who has submitted a poem judged best by an English department faculty committee.
Awardees: Phoebe Cragon, Jerney Harms
M.T. Brewerton Award for English
This award is given to the outstanding graduating senior as selected by the members of the English Department.
Awardee: Phoebe Cragon
P.B. Lindsey Memorial Award for the Outstanding Freshman in Creative Writing
This award, established by Professor Emeritus Earle Labor, recognizes a first-year English major of exceptional promise in Creative Writing.
Awardee: Jude Williams
Thomas E. Horton & Stephen Victory Scholarship
This award is presented in memory of Thomas Edward, Esther Horton, and Steven Thomas Victory to an outstanding first-year major in the English Department. The recipient will receive the scholarship in the fall of the next academic year.
Awardee: Dani Kimmey
Zeak Monroe Buckner Creative Writing Award
This award is presented to a full-time Centenary student who has submitted a work of prose - fiction, creative non-fiction, or scriptwriting - judged best by an English department faculty committee.
Awardee: Emily Moreno
Foreign Languages Department
Prix Alfred Mercier
Alfred Mercier studied at what was to grow into Centenary College of Louisiana in 1825. (His tuition that year was $12.00). He became the editor for one of Alexander Dumas’s newspapers, is known as Louisiana’s foremost author in French, and is the first medical doctor to have studied at this institution.
Awardee: Athena Vasquez
Prix Diego Morphy
Diego Morphy was the first professor hired by this institution in 1825. He taught French and Latin and published the first book written by a faculty member of this institution.
Awardee: Corey Bowe
Prix Jean Arceneaux
The French program recognizes Phoebe Cragon who has won the Prix Jean Arceneaux for the short story “Le Corbeau et la Sorcière des Attakapas.” Phoebe competed in the national competition hosted by Les Éditions Tintamarre, winning first place in her category. The judges of the contest were the three poet laureates of French Louisiana: Kirby Jambon, Jean Arceneaux, and Zachary Richard.
Awardee: Phoebe Cragon
Prix Louisa Lamotte
Louisa Lamotte was a Creole of Color born in New Orleans in 1848. Educated in Paris like so many Louisiana Creoles of the period, she earned a university degree in 1862, making her one of the very first women of Color to receive an advanced degree. She wrote the very first study of the history of the education of women in France, taught courses to girls in the lowest economic classes of Paris during the French Commune, and became a major publisher of literature for children during the 1880s. Her work to educate the economically marginalized resonates perfectly with the mission of Les Éditions Tintamarre, which is to provide reading material to Americans who have been marginalized historically because of language or social background.
Awardees: Lilli Breaux, Zuri Jenkins
Le Prix Tintamarre
Le Prix Tintamarre is given to those students whose works were judged worthy of publication by the three judges of the international short-story competition Concours du conte merveilleux louisianais 2023. The judges were Kirby Jambon, Jean Arceneaux, and Zachary Richard, the three poet laureates of French Louisiana. Each of these students’ stories appear in the peer-reviewed publication Contes Merveilleux: 2023.
Awardees:
Corey Bowe
Lilli Breaux
Sierra Charles
Phoebe Cragon
Zuri Jenkins
Pi Delta Phi (French Honor Society)
Pi Delta Phi is the oldest national academic honor society for a foreign language in the United States with more than 400 chapters and over 75,000 members across the United States. It recognizes outstanding scholarship in the French language and Francophone literatures. Members of Pi Delta Phi rank in the top 35% of their class.
Inductees:
Corey Bowe
Kevin Brown
Jaspen Charles
Emma Greer
Coby Harris
Reece Maguire
Anna Storms
Athena Vasquez
Frost School of Business
Cecil E. Ramey, Jr. Frost School of Business Award
The Frost School of Business faculty presents this cash award to an outstanding Business student who will pursue a graduate degree upon graduation from Centenary.
Awardee: Ian Givens
Top Accounting Major Award
The recipient of this award is selected for their outstanding academic achievement in the Accounting major.
Awardee: Kendall Huff
Top Business Major Award
The recipient of this award is selected for their outstanding academic achievement in the Business Administration major.
Awardees: Trevor Henry, Devan Martin
Top Economics Major Award
The recipient of this award is selected for their outstanding academic achievement in the Economics major.
Awardee: Payton Lii
Woodrow W. Pate Economics Award
Woodrow Pate served as Professor and Chairman of the Economics Department at Centenary from 1949 to 1977. He passed away in August 2002. To honor his memory, the Economics Department instituted this award that goes to the student who demonstrated the greatest aptitude for study of economics.
Awardee: Hoodie Collier
Sigma Beta Delta
Sigma Beta Delta honors students who have attained superior grade point averages in business programs in schools and colleges with regional accreditation. It is an International Honor Society in Business, Management, and Administration with wisdom, honor, and pursuit of meaningful aspirations as its goals.
Inductees:
Mackenzie Cox
Christopher Lee Dant
Isabella Morgan Giglio
Trevor DeWitt Henry
Theresa Faye Johnson
History and Political Science Department
Chris T. and Sue C. Barnette Memorial Award
This award is presented to the outstanding junior or senior majoring in History or Political Science with a concentration in International Studies.
Awardee: Sami Borchalli
Colonial Dames of America, Chapter 6 -- Outstanding American History Student Award
The recipient of this award has demonstrated excellence in study, knowledge, and mastery of U.S. History in courses at Centenary, and has been selected by the faculty of the Department of History and Political Science.
Awardee: Collier Cloinger
Dr. Leroy Vogel Memorial Award
A check is presented to an outstanding student majoring in history or political science, based on overall academic achievement in the major.
Awardees: Remi Miller, Caleb Smith
Excellence in Political Science Award in honor of Professor Rodney Grunes
This award is given to the outstanding graduating senior with the most impressive academic achievements in Political Science.
Awardee: Renee Katz
Katherine Slaikeu Nolan Historical Research Award
The Katherine Slaikeu Nolan Historical Research Award recognizes a Centenary student who has demonstrated an exceptional talent for historical research during her or his undergraduate career.
Awardee: Markiese Boykin
M.T. Brewerton Award for History
This award is given to an outstanding graduating senior as selected by the members of the History Department.
Awardee: Christine Goodman
Weems, Schimpf, Haines, Landry, Shemwell & Moore Pre-Law Award
A law dictionary and a check are presented to the junior who has shown excellence in Law-related courses as well as overall academic performance.
Awardee: Visar Rraci
Phi Alpha Theta Honor Society
Phi Alpha Theta is the national history honor society.
Inductees:
Emilie Adams
Tuyen Chau
Collier Cloinger
Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society
Pi Sigma Alpha is the national political science honor society.
Inductees:
Visar Rraci
Lauren Warren
Mathematics Department
Minnie Hall Brown and Willey Bush Brown, Jr. Award
This award is given in memory of Minnie Hall Brown and Wiley Bush Brown, Jr. It is awarded to a sophomore level Mathematics major who has a 3.0 GPA or above.
Awardee: Dylan Allred
Virginia Carlton Mathematics Award
This award was established in honor of Jasmin Alibalic by Jasmin's colleagues and associates at Republic Insurance and Liberty Mutual because of his passion to recruit college students into the actuarial field. Jasmin was born in Sarajevo, Bosnia, and graduated from Centenary in 2002 with a BS in Math and minors in Computer Science and Physics. Preference is given to a student with aspirations to pursue a career as an actuary.
Awardees:
Macy Smith
Felix Kraus
Music Department
Frank Carroll Award
This award is presented to an outstanding junior student, selected by the Music faculty.
Awardees: Seth Hooker, Audrey Ree Randolph
Outstanding Senior Award
This award is presented to the graduating senior Music major whose talent and musical ability, professional promise, attitude and achievement, and contribution to the School of Music is judged outstanding by the faculty.
Awardee: Corey Bowe
Ronald E. Dean Academic Achievement Award
Chosen by the Music faculty, this award is given to a Music student who exhibits a high level of excellence in the academic pursuits of Music Theory and History.
Awardee: Anna DiMaggio
Shirley Hawn Outstanding Freshman Award
This award is presented to an outstanding freshman for attitude toward studies, general level of achievement, and contributions to the School of Music. The recipient is selected by the Music faculty.
Awardee: Destry Martignetti
Natural Sciences
Poppy K. Moon Endowed Award
This award is presented to a female student with outstanding achievements as a Natural Science major in her junior year of study. The recipient is chosen by the faculty members of the Natural Science Division.
Awardee: Bryn Jenkins
Philosophy
L. Hughes Cox Endowed Scholarship Award
The Philosophy Department selects a candidate meeting the following conditions: the chosen student has declared a major or minor in Philosophy; has maintained a 2.5 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 average in his or her Philosophy courses; must show promising the study of Philosophy as determined by the Philosophy Department; has not received previous scholarships which will cover his or her full tuition costs; and must be above the first-year level.
Awardee: Anna DiMaggio
Psychology
Vroonland Psychology Award
This award is presented to an exceptional Psychology major planning to attend graduate school.
Awardee: Kennedy Stephens
Psi Chi
Psi Chi is the international honor society for psychology majors and minors which recognizes students in the top 35% of GPA for their academic cohort.
Inductees:
Coleman Guidry
Mackenzie Olinger
Viviana Rivero
Madison Schonberg
Mackenzie Williams
Campus Awards
Chaplain's Office
John M. Warren Award
The recipient of this award is given to a student who is known on campus as a person of faith, is respected by their peers and who leads by their actions. This award is given to a student who is committed to the nurture and development of religious life on the campus.
Awardee: Monica Percino
Thomas A. Pitt Memorial Award
The Thomas Pitt Memorial Award is given to a student for his/her contributions to religious life on campus and for biblical scholarship in religious studies.
Awardee: Anna DiMaggio
Christian Leadership Center
CLC Seniors Award
The Christian Leadership Center's Seniors Award is reserved for a first-year CLC student who represents the ideals of the Christian Leadership Center program. Each year the CLC seniors choose the award recipient for the first-year student who most exemplifies the mission for the Christian Leadership Center. These students are chosen for their positive attitude, their commitment to their faith, their leadership qualities, and commitment to the values of the Christian Leadership Center.
Awardees: George Heydens, Kaitlyn Moton
D.L. Dykes Founder Award for Excellence in Field Education
Presented to students in CLC who have demonstrated high commitment and positive attitudes toward the goals and progress of the CLC Field Education program, and who have displayed a high quality of professional attitude toward others, staff and laity.
Awardee: Coby Harris
James Sears Award for Outstanding Contribution to the CLC Community
Named in memory of James Sears, this award recognizes a Christian Leadership Center student who embodies the same qualities that Jim did. Jim was a young man of great enthusiasm, supportive of the program and always encouraging his fellow students.
Awardee: Riana Seidenberg
Community Engagement
Dian Tooke Student Service Award
This award is given to a graduating senior who has made leadership through service to the community a priority during their college career. The award is named for Mrs. Dian Tooke, founding director of Centenary's Office of Service Learning. Recipients of this award have demonstrated exemplary community and civic engagement both on and off campus during their time at Centenary.
Awardee: Jessica Cordova
Integrated Advising
Peer Mentor Award
The peer mentors are upperclassmen who help students transition to college life and integrate into the Centenary College community. They are leaders in the Learning Commons and can assist students with anything from degree planning to study strategies.
Awardees:
Jazmine Carroll
Mary Caruthers
Coby Harris
Tori Ligman
Vernesha Martin
Mackenzie Newlan
Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Morgan and Pledger Diversity Advocate Award
Named for Professor Emeritus and Centenary Historian, Dr. Lee Morgan, as well as former faculty member Dr. W. Ferrell Pledger, both members of the College’s faculty who supported the initial efforts for integration at Centenary College, this award is given to a graduating senior who has made leadership in the area of diversity a priority during their college career. Recipients of this award have coordinated diversity programming, supported opportunities to educate their peers on topics of diversity, and ensured that multicultural perspectives were represented and included in campus life.
Awardees: Markiese Boykin, Zuri Jenkins
Residence Life
Allan Todd Memorial Award
In appreciation of the service of Allan Todd as a leader in Residence Life while a student at Centenary College of Louisiana and his passion for serving others, Paul McDowell established the Allan Todd Memorial Award for Outstanding Resident Assistant. This award recognizes a Resident Assistant who has excelled at all aspects of the position including demonstrating leadership, developing a positive sense of community on their floor, being available to their residents, serving as a role model in the residence halls, putting on creative programs and events, and working well with other staff members.
Awardee: Rachael Ayres
Student Government Association
SGA Executive Committee members
President: Andrew Turner
Vice President of Campus Engagement: Andrea Kay
Vice President of Finance: Tarif Islam
Vice President of Institutional Affairs: Caymen Hawkins
Vice President of Publicity & Records: Jordan Danzell
SGA Sophmore Senators
Tuyen Chau
Abigail Rinaudo
Sophie Vidrine
SGA Junior Senators
Avery Cauley
Emma Greer
Ethan Manwaring
SGA Senior Senators
Anacelia Galeano-Balam
Victoria Ligman
Stanley Melton
Emily Napier
Zachery Van Gorkom
Pacesetter Award
The Pacesetter Award is presented to those who "set the pace" for the institution this year through their leadership and significant contributions to Centenary College. Pacesetter recipients are selected by the student body.
Awardees:
Markiese Boykin
Joel Cardenas-Lopez
Tuyen Chau
Rose Deshler
Jordan Fong
Mack Grant
Channing Hall
Caymen Hawkins
Camryn Hebert
Bryn Jenkins
Zuri Jenkins
Andrea Kay
Audrey Laper
Tori Ligman
CJ McCulloch
Stan Melton
Gracie Napier
Jonathan Okereke
Faculty/Staff Pacesetter Award
Awardees: Scott Chirhart, Chrissy Martin
SGA Bullet Award
The Bullet award is voted upon by the current Senate and given to the senator who they believe has gone above and beyond the call of duty as a senator.
Awardee: Andrea Kay
The Centenary Spotlight Award
The Centenary Spotlight award is selected by the student body. It goes to the graduating senior who received the highest number of votes as a Pacesetter finalist.
Awardee: Camryn Hebert
Maroon Jackets
2023-2024 Maroon Jackets
Maroon Jackets is a honorary society that recognizes outstanding senior student leaders. Any full-time student entering his or her final year of study at Centenary with a 3.0 cumulative GPA is eligible for consideration for membership in this organization. Selection is made by the present members of the Maroon Jackets based on scholarship, leadership, campus involvement, and service to the school.
Awardee:
Haley Bordelon
Joel Cardenas-Lopez
Jordan Danzell
Jordan Fong
Regan Griffin
Caymen Hawkins
Tori Ligman
Eva M. Vega
Stanley Melton
Gracie Napier
Mackenzie Newlan
Aiden Peterkin
Siobahn Stanley
Caroline Swoboda
Maddie Vacula
Mackenzie Williams
Faculty-Staff Honorary Maroon Jacket
Awardee: Jarret Richardson
Ray Williams Honorary Maroon Jacket Award
The Maroon Jackets was established in 1931 by the late Ray Williams, a Shreveport civic leader. This award is presented annually to a graduating senior who, although not previously selected as a member of the organization, possesses the characteristics expected of a Maroon Jacket, particularly in the area of service to Centenary College.
Awardee: Zuri Jenkins
Joy Jeffers Award
Ms. Terry Joy Jeffers began working in the Dean of Students Office in 1967. She was selected as an honorary Maroon Jacket at Honors Convocation in the spring of 1974 and in that same year, she assumed the position of advisor to the Maroon Jackets. Ms. Jeffers was a dedicated sponsor for many years in maintaining and enhancing the Maroon Jackets organization. The Joy Jeffers Outstanding Service Award was established to honor her contributions. The award is voted on by the current members and is presented to someone who has gone above and beyond the stated expectation of membership. Their dedication to Centenary College and the Maroon Jackets reflects the positive example set by Ms. Joy Jeffers.
Awardee: Camryn Hebert
Student Development
Outstanding Contributions to Student Life
These awards are presented annually to the graduating seniors who have made the greatest contributions to student life during their time at Centenary through involvement and leadership across multiple areas.
Awardees:
Carson Alvarez
Markiese Boykin
Kyle Comi
Anna DiMaggio
Ian Givens
Camryn Hebert
Zuri Jenkins
Divine Martin
CJ McCulloch
Remi Miller
Jonathan Okereke
Caleb Smith
Administrative Awards
Financial Aid
Class of 1964 50th Anniversary Award
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of their graduation, the Class of 1964 endowed this award to be given annually as a monetary award to a student in good standing with a financial need.
Awardee: James Harris
Mary Sue Rix Award
Mary Sue Rix was the Director of Financial Aid from 1986 – 2012 and was very dedicated to her job and the students. She was well known for knowing every student by name.
Awardee: Jazzmyn Jones
David and Jodi Rowe Presidential Leadership Award
The person presented with this award is a Centenary College graduating senior whose Centenary journey exemplifies the transformative nature of a Centenary education.
Awardee: Sierra Charles
President's Office
Verba J. Schwab Memorial Endowed Leadership Award
This award, in memory of Mrs. Verba J. Schwab, was created and established by President Emeritus Dr. Kenneth L. Schwab in 1998 in memory of his mother. This annual award recognizes a first or second year female student who demonstrates the capacity for significant leadership. The recipient must possess a strong character, demonstrate an enthusiastic commitment to others, and maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or above. The recipient is selected by the President and the Dean of Students.
Awardee: Mackenzie (Mack) Grant
Ellis H. Brown Leadership Award
This award is presented to the senior man and woman who, throughout their years at Centenary, have displayed outstanding leadership qualities among the student body. Nominations are submitted by students and faculty with the final selection determined by the Student Services Committee.
Awardees: Zuri Jenkins, Jonathan Okereke