MAT SCOTT
News Editor
Nine seniors were honored with the President’s Medal at the academic awards convocation on April 15.
According to the Denison website, the primary criterion for receiving this medal is academic achievement, but “candidates must [also] embody some combination of service to the community, contribution to the arts, enlargement of the community’s global perspective, athletic fitness and achievement, leadership ability and contribution to community discourse.”
The nine seniors who received the award are Anika Smith, Anna Teye, Ashley Bartreau, Cheyanne Cierpial, Emily Lamm, Maclane Sellars, Patrick Keller, Sara Winnicki and Taylor Kessler Faulkner. Winnicki and Faulkner also received research fellowships from the National Science Foundation for their research efforts in their fields.
“The award is incredibly meaningful to me, as I have been inspired by the previous medalists, and have spent my time at Denison striving to achieve distinction in both the academic and extracurricular sphere as they had,” Bartreau said.
“I cannot explain to you how thankful I am that the committee saw my efforts at Denison as worthy of such an honor.”
In addition, Yusuf Ahmed ‘16, Madina Khudaynazar ‘19, Keylee Jones ‘16, Tyler Law ‘18 and Evan Woodnorth ‘16 were recognized for receiving critical language scholarships. Ran Ji ‘16 and Junyi Cui ‘16 were recognized for winning Davis Peace Project awards to spend the summer developing an empowerment camp in China for migrant children.
Khudaynazar was the only first-year student to receive an award at the convocation ceremony.
“The commitment from the Denison faculty, community and Gilpatrick center to help me receive this scholarship was immense,” Khydaynazar said.
“This Denison commitment is reflected through my current Arabic professor, Clint Hackenburg, who agreed to write me a letter of recommendation without even having me as a student prior to the spring semester.”
Christopher Perry ‘16 was recognized for receiving a Fulbright grant to teach English in Germany.
Woodnorth also recognized for receiving a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to teach in Turkey.
Max Meirow ‘18, Amanda Jack ‘17 and Nathan Meyers ‘17 were recognized for receiving research internships in science and engineering to spend the summer in Germany. Sirena Davis ‘17, Helen Vaquero ‘17 and Estrella Vargas ‘17 were recognized for winning Benjamin Gilman scholarships which assists with study abroad costs.
Photo courtesy of University Communication