By Suzy Alstrin
Reinhardt’s annual awards celebration on April 9th recognizes scholars’ and professors’ academic and interpersonal achievements and excellence. The Evening of Honors includes presenting the Reinhardt University Academic Scholars Award to juniors and seniors with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.9 or higher, and the Hugh Peterson Jr. Academic Scholars Award to students with a cumulative GPA of 3.6 to 3.89.
Applause echoed Flint Hall as each academic degree program coordinator presented Academic Program Awards, and the deans named honorees of the School Student Achievement Awards. Sam Grayson James (RU-2025) received the No Greater Love Award for showing selfless giving to others. Jacqueline (Alexis) McCone (RU-2024) received the Engaged Learner Award for her campus leadership inside and outside the classroom.
The prestigious Students of the Year awards were bestowed upon seniors Salvador Castillo (traditional), a biology major, and business management major Luciano Fisicaro (non-traditional) for their scholarship, leadership, honesty, community service, and service to the University. The student body selected the director of the Price School of Education, Tami Smith, for the Elizabeth Moss Bailey Faculty Mentor Award.
This year, new emeriti professors and alumna Meagan Hurley (RU-2014) joined in the procession. Hurley was awarded the Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award for her career dedication and successes in championing justice and advocating for the innocent, overturning wrongful convictions, and instructing law students to do the same. She told the students to keep an open mind about what their future might look like and to listen to the voice that is trying to guide them. Hurley added, “The time is always right to do what is right. Sometimes it can be scary, and it may not be popular, but do it anyway because it matters. Reinhardt shaped me into the person I am today, someone who takes very seriously the core values of faith and service.”
No Greater Love Award: Sam Grayson James
Engaged Learner Award: Jacqueline (Alexis) McCone
Student of the Year Award – Traditional: Salvador Castillo
Student of the Year Award – Non-Traditional: Luciano Fisicaro
Faculty Awards
Elizabeth Moss Bailey Award: Tamara Smith
United Methodist Exemplary Teaching Award: Kimberly Crowe
Faculty Research & Scholarship Award: Debby Pinion
Faculty Artistic Award: Jym Davis
Jane England Teaching Excellence Award: Dr. Christopher Robinson
Vulcan Outstanding Teaching Award: Krista Mullins
Innovative Teaching Award: Krista Mullins
Innovative Adjunct Teaching Award: Robert Walker-Bunda
School Student Achievement Awards
School of Humanities, Sciences, and Technology: Salvador Castillo
McCamish School of Business & Professions: Sarah Bambrick (Sport Studies) and Aryn Parrish (Business)
Price School of Education: Ryan Neill
Nursing: Fern McEwen
Performing Arts: Jared Brooks
Professional Studies: Nathan Jentzen
Academic Degree Program Awards
ART
Graphic Design: Wyatt Maddox
Studio Art: Leah Renard
Digital Media Arts: Allison Andriano and Celestin Chung
BIOLOGY
Anna-Marie Gazzo and Gabriel Buchanan
BUSINESS
Accounting: Mia Griswold and Jacob Sollars
BBA Online: Abigail Van Asselt and Adrian Montealvo
General Business: Luciano Fisicaro and Jacob Profit
Management: Zackary Vickers and Elyse Standing
Sport Studies: Chance Willis and Haley Sturla
Marketing/Digital: Marissa Navarro and Brady Hanak
COMMUNICATION ARTS
Strategic Communication: Kinleigh Stancill
Media Studies: Hunter Paulsen
Digital Storytelling: Kristen Teagarden
CRIMINAL JUSTICE (CJUSP)
Robert Weekley
EDUCATION
EE Education: Liam Wright and Ryelyn Wells
Secondary Biology: Alex Hardy
Secondary History: Halley Adams
Secondary ELA: Ryan Neill
ENGLISH
Emilee Hendrix
Creative Writing: Olivia Ruzicka and Devin Ware
HEALTHCARE ADMINISTRATION (BHA)
Allison Agnew
HISTORY
Christopher Walker and Sydney Murray
INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
Mattie Bryant
MATH
John Benjamin Bethel Humphries
Cybersecurity: Marta Vicente-Arche and Charlize Brown
MUSIC
Hannah Kate Singleton and Sophia DiLorenzo
Music Performance: Fiona Garner and Alexandra Sherry
Music Education: Elizabeth Chesser and Melody Lorenz
NURSING
Mary Beth Botts and Megan Larson
PERFORMING ARTS – BFA
Musical Theater: Jenna Gonzalez and Isabella Scarcella
Theatre: Olivia Adams and Grace Ware
PSYCHOLOGY
Mia Hoeddinghaus and Tayla Kruger
Reinhardt Academic Scholars
Aubrei Erin Atchley
Sarah Bambrick
Olivia Ann Banks
Pilar Becerra
Mattie Lea Bryant
Gabriel Scott Buchanan
Victoria Elizabeth Cantrell
Aidan Bryce Carlton
Salvador Castillo
Valerie Christian
Celestin Ruhon Chung
Rachael Cory
Julia Alane Craft
Ciara Nicole Devane
Sophia Carmela DiLorenzo
Luciano Agustin Fisicaro
Emma Grace Fitts
Anna-Marie Gazzo
Amberle Johnson Godfrey
Jenna Michelle Gonzalez
Erin Alice Griffin
Alexis Ashanti Griffith
Mia Ann Griswold
Phoebe Hanson Hart
Sydney G. Harvey
Emilee Michaela Hendrix
Daniela Alexa Herrera
Ella Grace Higdon
Kalyn Brett Jinks
Andres F. Jorquera
Melody Elizabeth Lorenz
Emily Drew Loveless
Jacqueline Alexis McCone
Marissa Lucia Navarro
Andrew Nicholas Paolozzi
Aryn Hope Parrish
Leah Kate Renard
Brianna Faye Renaud
Emma Macie Rhodes
Olivia Autumn Ruzicka
David Joseph Sayles
Julian Taylor Schwarz
Alexandra Ciara Sherry
Bruno César Dewes Silva
Kiara MaKayla Simpson
Hannah Kate Kathryn Singleton
Tiffany Noelle Smith
Jacob Daniel Sollars
Ashley Lauren Steele
Molly Anne Stevens
Esteban Federico Sued
Kristen Renee Teagarden
Marta Vicente-Arche
Thomas Ray Vincent
Taylor Ann Wade
Robert Franklin Weekley
Hugh Peterson, Jr. Scholars
Caleb Robert Adams
Tristin Lee Baumann
Lilly Jin-Ying Belcher
Avery James Blalock
Mary Beth Botts
Jared Keith Brooks
Sarah Elizabeth Bruce
Cameron James Cagle
Monzerrath Camarena
Elizabeth Jean Chesser
Alisa Julia Christian
Rachel Lydia Crittenden
Shelby Danielle Darrah
Nicholas David De Martini
Holli Nicole DeBord
Mason Dockrey
Reece S. Dotterer
Ansley Grace Evans
Daniel Scot Fountain
Eva Evelyn-Marie Freeman
Kylie Marie Freije
Lauren Rose Garcia
Fiona Jasmine Garner
Caroline Lucy Goddard
Carlos David Guerrero
Brady Denis Hanak
James Alex Hardy
Collin Christopher Harris
Lidia Jorene Herrera
Aminata Jeffer Jalloh
Haley Alexis Kemperle
Samuel Alexander Kopeski
Tiffany Le Roux
Kyra Camille Lightner
Tucker Andrew Lowe
Molly Katherine Maresca
Jillian Rose Martinet
Fern Lea McEwen
Alexandria Kaitlyn McPherson
Adrian Antonio Montealvo
Shelby Lynn O’Neil
Ivan Patta
Hunter Paulsen
Emma Nicole Pelfrey
Madison Porter Peterson
Avanna Preston-Tate
Jacob Jonathan Profit
Madeleine Bridgette Ross
Rayner Sarmiento
Isabella Bianca Scarcella
Reid Thomas Schratwieser
Angela Rose Sciacchitano
Jonathan Clete Shadinger
Brooke Anne Simon
Kinleigh Elizabeth Stancill
Elyse Margaret Standing
Haley Jane Sturla
Gillian Ann Sullivan
Casey Lance Thomas
Nina Thomet
Sarah A. Timmerman
Vincent Varsalona
Zachary Vickers
Chloe Grace Walker
Christopher Miles Walker
Abigail Francis-lee Ware
Devin Michael Ware
Grace Olivia Ware
Michael Wassef
Ryelyn Elise Wells
Jarod Ray Whitmore
Kerion A. Williams
Chance Everett Willis
Charles D. Workman
Liam Michael James Wright
Cameron Scott Yates
