An athlete, volunteer and leader received the Presidential Award of Excellence April 16 at the Hilltop Excellence Awards for their achievements in balancing academics along with other passions.
Bryce Clark, a midfielder on SMU’s soccer team, received the Scholar/Athlete Award for his excellence as a team member and student.
“I knew SMU was just as competitive in the classroom as it was on the soccer field, so it forced me to be on top of my education first,” Clark said.
Over 150 people were nominated for awards, and there were 46 recipients. Each nominee had to meet specific requirements and go above and beyond their call of duty academically and in extracurricular areas.
Anne Marie Murphy, a student nominee, left the ceremony empty handed, but that did not discourage her.
“Although I didn’t receive the Outstanding Senior Woman Award for the whole school, I was beyond honored to have been nominated by my department as the Outstanding Senior Woman in the education school,” Murphy said. “To know that I am even close to being as accomplished as the people who did win is such an honor.”
As a tradition, the student body president gives a “State of the University” address. This year, Student Body President David Shirzad covered important changes that the university had implemented over the past school year, such as the creation of a student advisory board to Facilities.
Shirzad stated that the Student Senate created specific focuses for the school year, specifically the improvement of communication.
“One focus that I believe, and all of us believe, is super important was to have consistent and clear communication from our students and our administration,” Shirzad said.
Examples of this clear communication include the creation of Boulevard debrief meetings, student emergency operation debrief meetings and a single calendar listing every event on campus.
Next year, Shirzad said to expect mobile ordering at Mac’s Place, and he’s hopeful Hughes-Trigg will receive renovations.
Shirzad was just one of the 15 who received the the last and most honorable award of the night, the M Award, along with five faculty members at nine other students.
A complete list of recipients can be found below:
The M Award:
Faculty:
Stephanie Amsel
William Bridge
Elsie Johnson
Mary Jane Johnson
Mikel Saloma
Students:
Anna Bender
Madeleine Case
Richmond Dewan
DeAngelo Garner
Will Jones
Matthew Lucci
Jessica Pires-Jancose
David Shirzad
Angela Wang
Karly Zrake
Presidential Awards of Excellence:
Scholar/Athlete:
Bryson Clark
Scholar/Leader:
Alexandra Rutherford
Scholar Volunteer:
Ekiomoado Olumese
James E Caswell Award:
Jacquelyn Elias
Emmie V. Baine Legacy Award:
Sydney Clark
A. Kenneth Pye Outstanding Greek Leader Award:
Drew Benson
Blair Betik
Charmion Davis
Samantha Klaassen
Ian McManus
Chad Solomon
Extra Mile Award
Matthew Boulanger
Adreana Julander
Conchita Villar-Martin
The Sheri Mooney Memorial Recognition:
Erin Walsh
Mary Parker Johnstone
Outstanding Faculty/Staff Volunteer Award:
Sarah Feuerbacher
Outstanding Senior Woman Award:
Nivethitha Manohar
Outstanding Senior Man Award:
Chikwarauzo Isaac Oti
Outstanding Administrator Award:
Elizabeth Killingsworth
Outstanding Staff Award:
Mary Jane Johnson
Outstanding Trustee Award:
Bill Armstrong
Willis M. Tate Award:
Ben Voth
John L. Freehafer Award:
Hannah Ali
Rachel Bergeson
James “Peach” Kuchler
Ryan Lozano
Clinton Osifo
Taylor Vinson
Avella Winn Hay Award:
Ray Cipriano
Umphrey Lee Award:
Raven Harding
