Wesleyan College held its annual Honors and Awards Convocation on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. The event celebrates students who are honored for their outstanding academic, service, and leadership achievements by academic departments, the student government association, and the College. Outstanding faculty and staff are also honored for their commitment to teaching and service.
Erica Brown ’22 received the highest student-nominated honor, Wesleyan Student of the Year. Given to a graduating senior, this award is based on three principal traits: leadership, dedication to the Wesleyan community, and friendship to others. Erica is president of SGA and is a lead admission ambassador. In previous years, she served as senator of Activism and Advocacy and as a student intern for various social justice organizations. In addition to her campus activities, she works part-time at Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia as a sexual assault advocate. Erica will enter the Candler School of Theology at Emory University this fall on a full-tuition scholarship to pursue a Master of Theology degree.
Taj Haywood ’22 was honored as Wesleyan Student of Success, an award given annually to a junior or senior who stands out in academics, community service, and extracurricular activities. Taj has served Wesleyan as a resident advisor and an admission ambassador and as president of her class and of Black Student Alliance. This Woodruff Scholar and Findlay Fellowship recipient has appeared on the president’s list multiple times, is head Junior Marshal, and earned a Phi Kappa Phi certificate. In the fall, Taj will enter Mercer University School of Law on the George W. Woodruff full-tuition scholarship.
Each year, the student body votes on faculty and staff to be honored with SGA awards. This year’s honorees are: Faculty/Staff Workhorse, Director of the First Year Experience Ken Blair; Staff Member of the Year, Residence Life Coordinator Ellie Hansen ’21; and Professor of the Year, Assistant Professor of Psychology Holly Cole. The newly created Student Leadership Award went to Savannah Pollock ’22.
Teaching award winners include: Ann Munck Award for Excellence in Teaching, Associate Professor of English / Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning Laura Lease; The Quillian Distinguished Teaching Award, Associate Professor of Education Latisha Warren; and The Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award, Professor of Communication Diedra Donmoyer.
The Presidential Staff Award recognizes extraordinary contributions by members of our staff to the improvement of the Wesleyan community. Based on a high level of service, dedication, conscientiousness, and caring above and beyond normal expectations this year’s honorees are Assistant Registrar, Candice Cagle; Enrollment Coordinator Jessica Tucker; and Nursing Program Coordinator Alexis Hall.
Wesleyan is proud of each of these award recipients and is thankful for all they do on a daily basis to serve the College above and beyond the call of duty.
Front row: Jessica Tucker, Alexis Hall, Melody Blake, Vivia Fowler, Diedra Donmoyer, Laura Lease
Back row: Ken Blair, Ellie Hansen ’21, Latisha Warren, Holly Cole