King University recently honored a number of students for their academic, athletic, and community service accomplishments during the 2024-2025 academic year.

“It brings us great joy to celebrate the academic and professional excellence achieved by our students,” said Matt Roberts, Ed.D., provost of King. “They are committed to deepening their understanding of the world and in that process, improving the lives of those around them. We’re very proud of what they have accomplished and confident in the future contributions they will make to their families, friends, and home communities.”

Photos from the convocation are available for download here.

During the annual Honors Convocation, held at King’s Memorial Chapel in Bristol on Monday, April 21, students received the following awards, fellowships, scholarships, and recognitions (listed among the varying colleges of study):

 

Jack E. Snider Honors Fellows

These students have completed an additional 17 hours of honors credit through participation in independent research; a publicly presented and defended senior honors thesis; overseas and domestic travel, study, and service; and campus and community service.

John Harbaugh – Bristol, Tennessee

Sean McDermott – Suffolk, Virginia

 

Vocational Scholars Program

Funded by the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NETVUE), King’s Vocational Scholars Program provides opportunities for elect students to explore their callings and imagine themselves doing good wherever they feel drawn. Each student participated in a vocational retreat, met regularly with mentors, developed a project that both helped a local faith community and allowed deep exploration of individual calling, and made a public presentation about the project.

Rebekah Cash – Abingdon, Virginia

Catherine Domecq – Odenton, Maryland

Caroline Etter – Zionsville, Indiana

John Trevor Hansard – Abingdon, Virginia

Kelsey Trent – Kingsport, Tennessee

 

King Institute for Faith & Culture Award

Given to a student who demonstrates the mission of the King Institute for Faith and Culture (IFC).

Donna Walker – Bluff City, Tennessee

 

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

 

Philosophy Award

Given to a philosophy student who has excelled academically and exhibited the scholarly qualities of creative questioning, analytical reasoning, and critical thinking.

Elena Gray – Bristol, Tennessee

 

Geneva King Memorial Scholarship

Set up by Mr. Louis King in memory of his mother, a longtime friend of the University. Given to the student who has performed well academically and who has helped to foster a love for the English language at King.

Whitney Brooks – Bristol, Virginia

 

Spanish Language Award

Given to the student who demonstrates the best performance in Beginning Spanish.

Jacob K. Eargle – Chattanooga, Tennessee

 

Advanced Studies in Spanish Award

Given to the student who demonstrates the best performance in upper level Spanish courses.

Ermayanni Vazquez Adame – Commerce, Georgia

 

History Award

Given to a graduating senior who exhibits a strong performance in the field of history.

Donna Walker – Bluff City, Tennessee

 

Women’s History Club Award

Given to outstanding rising seniors in the field of History and supported by a special endowment from the Women’s History Club.

Laura Beth Redd – Woodlawn, Virginia

 

John W. Burgess Award in Political Science

This award is named for Tennessee native John W. Burgess, the first president of the American Political Science Association, and is sponsored by the Tennessee Political Science Association.

Mark Schafer – Bristol, Virginia

 

Security and Intelligence Scholar (SIS) Award

Given to the student with the highest cumulative grade point average across all courses taken for the SIS major.

Grace Ann Beatty – Conover, North Carolina

 

Psi Chi | National Honor Society in Psychology Inductees

The mission of this honor society is to recognize and promote excellence in the science and application of psychology.

Cassie Lowe – Jonesborough, Tennessee

Kaitlyn Shoun – Elizabethton, Tennessee

Zephanie Snyder – Seymour, Tennessee

 

Eula Cosby Coffey Awards in the Basic Sciences

Given to the female students with the highest overall grade point averages for the two semesters of each basic science course.

Jude Kerr, General Biology – Mound City, Kansas

Clare Booe, General Chemistry and General Physics – Tarpon Springs, Florida

Aubrey King, General Chemistry – Kennesaw, Georgia

 

William E. Torbert Memorial Scholarship:

Given to a returning outstanding mathematics major.

Hunter Thompson – Avondale, Pennsylvania

 

Betty Wallace Cornelius Mathematics Excellence Award

Given in memory of a member of the King College Class of 1966 who made teaching mathematics at the college level her life’s work. This award is presented to a rising senior who has demonstrated exceptional skill in mathematics.

Amelia Mullins – Telford, Tennessee

 

Natural Science and Mathematics Award

Given to the most outstanding graduate(s) in the basic sciences and mathematics.

Claire DiCugno – Lake Tapps, Washington

Sean McDermott – Suffolk, Virginia

 

Interdepartmental Sciences & Mathematics Seminar Award

Presented to the student who achieves the top-scoring presentation in seminar.

Sean McDermott – Suffolk, Virginia

 

Arthur W. King Memorial Scholarship in Physics

Made possible through the generosity of the Louis King family, this scholarship is awarded annually to a physics major who, in addition to maintaining an outstanding academic record, exhibits an enthusiasm for experimental and theoretical physics.

Hunter Thompson – Avondale, Pennsylvania

 

Sarah Katherine Stamper Award in Biology

This award honors the memory of the daughter of a 1950s assistant to the President of King University.

Staley Vaught – Knoxville, Tennessee

 

SCHOOL OF HEALTH & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

 

Ida B. Wells Social Work Students of the Year:

Given to student social workers who best exemplify the characteristics of advocacy, courage, and truth-telling in the pursuit of racial and gender equality and overall human rights.

Brandy Hudson – Chesterfield, Virginia

Madison Ramsey – Blountville, Tennessee

Juan Cardona-Santiago – Church Hill, Tennessee

 

Mary Richmond Social Work Students of the Year Award

Bestowed upon students who are active members of both Chi Omega and the Social Work Action Group, and best exemplify the Social Work Code of Ethics. The award is named for Marcy Richmond, who brought professional standards of practice to the profession of social work in the late 19^th century.

Adam Miller – Duffield, Virginia

Christopher Ruby – Doyle, Tennessee

 

Jane Addams Social Work Student of the Year Award

Given to the students who strongly uphold the Social Work Code of Ethics and are nonjudgmental innovators who exemplify outspoken advocacy, while being fully dedicated to the enhancement of communities and to the service to and empowerment of vulnerable populations. The award is named for Jane Addams, who introduced the social work profession to community well-being through the provision of services to vulnerable populations and excellence in scholarship.

Jessica Lauren Mullins – Church Hill, Tennessee

Katrina Tinsley – Madisonville, Tennessee

 

Outstanding Humanitarian Service:

Granted to the top six student social workers who best exemplify the tenets of social and economic justice for all through humanitarian service and who fight to eliminate barriers that prohibit equity.

Tamika Shropshire – Roseville, Michigan

Erikka Hill – Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Amber Prinz – Johnson City, Tennessee

Cyrena Everett – Friendsville, Tennessee

Melissa Gill – Johnson City, Tennessee

Heather Harless – Bristol, Virginia

 

Alpha Phi Sigma

The National Criminal Justice Honor Society is affiliated with the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. Its goals are to honor and promote academic excellence, community service, educational leadership, and unity. The 2024-2025 inductees into King’s chapter, Pi Epsilon Xi, are:

Kaitlyn Ashby – Marion, Virginia

Grace Ann Beatty – Conover, North Carolina

Aubrey England – Mountain City, Tennessee

 

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, ECONOMICS, AND TECHNOLOGY

 

Outstanding Undergraduate Business Award:

Rhys Halcrow – Portland, England

 

Outstanding Master of Business Administration Graduate Award

Abigail Bowles – Abingdon, Virginia

 

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

 

John S. Gaines Excellence in Student Teaching Award

Named in honor of Professor Emeritus John S. Gaines, who came to King in the fall of 1969 and began the process of establishing what is now the School of Education.

Emilie Kaczka – Bristol, Tennessee

 

Outstanding Master in Education Award

Presented to an outstanding graduate education student whom the faculty believe will be a standard-bearer of King’s mission and be a teacher who will make a difference in the lives of their students and the community in which they serve.

Daniela Hamlin – Bristol, Tennessee

 

Teachers of Promise Award

The Teachers of Promise Institute, which celebrates the decision to be a teacher, invited King’s School of Education to identify its best and brightest future educators.

Kinsey Morrell – Bristol, Tennessee

Katie Jo Blevins – Chilhowie, Virginia

Garret Huffman – Raphine, Virginia

 

SCHOOL OF NURSING

 

Nursing Pillar Awards

The Nursing Pillar Awards are based on the School of Nursing professional pillars of Integrity, Commitment, Service, Accountability, Civility, and Compassion.

Chloe Lyons, Civility – Kingsport, Tennessee

Kimberly Ellison, Commitment – Chilhowie, Virginia

 

Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing

Induction into King’s Epsilon Sigma at-large chapter is for nursing students who have completed at least half of the nursing curriculum, rank in the upper 35% of their graduating class, and have a GPA of at least 3.0. Graduate students must have completed one fourth of the nursing curriculum, and have a GPA of at least 3.5.

Sharri Latorre – Knoxville, Tennessee

Chloe Lyons – Kingsport, Tennessee

Melody Williamson – Howard, Ohio

Darin White – Seymour, Tennessee

Christie Pohto – Johnson City, Tennessee

Joie Reeves – Bristol, Tennessee

April Grizzle – Abingdon, Virginia

Heather Crabtree – Gate City, Virginia

 

STUDENT AFFAIRS

 

Senior Academic Athlete of the Year:

Claire DiCugno – Lake Tapps, Washington

Jake Moriarty – East Longmeadow, Massachusetts

 

Conference Carolinas Elite 23 Award

This award, modeled after the NCAA Elite 90 Award, is bestowed on student-athletes who have the highest cumulative grade point average at their sport’s championship site.

Chance Keen, Men’s Basketball – Rowe, Virginia

Claire DiCugno, Women’s Wrestling – Lake Tapps, Washington

 

Team Academic Award

Recognizes the team with the highest collective GPA for the academic year.

Bass Fishing

 

Chi Alpha Sigma National Collegiate Honor Society

Recognizes student athletes who have attained junior status and maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher.

Vanessa Neubauer, Acrobatics and Tumbling – Greensboro, North Carolina

Bridget Sweeney, Acrobatics and Tumbling – Royersford, Pennsylvania

Patrick Corley, Baseball  – Satellite Beach, Florida

Austin Goldie, Baseball – Rogersville, Tennessee

Mitchell Kahlenberg , Baseball – Elizabethton, Tennessee

Levi Medford, Baseball – Canton, North Carolina

Chance Keen, Men’s Basketball – Rowe, Virginia

Carles Molina, Men’s Golf – Barcelona, Spain

Jake Moriarty, Men’s Soccer – East Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Zachary Stroin, Men’s Track – Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey

Helina Hahn, Softball – Bristol, Tennessee

Bradlie Warner, Softball – Kingsport, Tennessee

Lucy Holbrough, Women’s Golf – Nottingham, England

Makayla Curtis, Women’s Soccer – Ashland City, Tennessee

Catherine Domecq, Women’s Soccer – Odenton, Maryland

Teeghan Harris, Women’s Soccer – Winchester, Tennessee

Riley Palmer, Women’s Soccer – Forest, Virginia

Rachel Radow , Women’s Soccer – Reno, Nevada

Olivia Seston, Women’s Soccer – Shawnee, Kansas

Victoria Thauer, Women’s Soccer – Grand Island, New York

Cassie Lowe, Women’s Swimming  – Jonesborough, Tennessee

Isabel Krick, Women’s Volleyball – El Paso, Texas

Gracia Love, Women’s Volleyball  – Greenback, Tennessee

Claire DiCugno, Women’s Wrestling – Lake Tapps, Washington

 

Student Leadership Award:

Gretchen Grambow – Prosper, Texas

Victoria Thauer – Grand Island, New York

 

RA of the Year Award:

Wyatt Coleman – Soddy Daisy, Tennessee

Maliah Tilley – Lebanon, Virginia

 

Student Organization of the Year Award:

STEM Club

 

Student Organization Leader Award:

Jessica Campbell – Graysville, Tennessee

 

SGA Faculty Appreciation Award

Selected by the SGA Senate, this award recognizes a faculty member who has excelled in service to students and provided new and exciting opportunities both inside and outside the classroom.

Christie Bailey, Professor of Nursing

 

SGA Staff Appreciation Award

Selected by the SGA Senate, this award recognizes a staff member who has gone above and beyond in service to students, exhibited a genuine care for student needs and concerns, and worked fervently to assist students in achieving their goals.

Jon Harr ’87, Ed.D. (1965-2025)

(awarded posthumously)

 

SGA Officers for 2024-2025 Academic Year

Victoria Thauer – Grand Island, New York

Gretchen Grambow – Prosper, Texas

 

Faculty/Student Lecture Series for 2024-2025

Bradley Baker, Ph.D.

Professor Lisa Sherfey