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 to 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, 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.

Consider hiring a Wesleyan student for an internship at your workplace.

An internship should:

• provide an environment where students can ask questions about the work, field, and their career paths.
• allow for students to demonstrate their initiative and problem-solving skills.
• be an educationally enriching project that outlines responsibilities and involves mentoring, quality training, supervision, and evaluation.
• include regular meetings for performance feedback.
• keep clerical work to a minimum. 75% of the time should be spent on projects with progressively increasing levels of responsibility.

Read more information on Wesleyan’s KEY Internship Program or contact Ivy Word, director of career development, at iword@wesleyancollege.edu or (478) 757-5224.

An internship can be either virtual or in-person.

On May 14, Wesleyan College awarded diplomas to 127 graduating seniors. The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Atlanta, Dr. Amina Smaila, served as keynote speaker at commencement exercises.

Graduate school acceptances:

University of North Carolina Greensboro, Georgia State University, Brenau University, Mercer University School of Law, Medical College of Wisconsin, Emory’s Candler School of Theology, and the University of Vermont

Programs include: master of arts in English, Ph.D. in neuroscience, Ph.D. in biochemistry, master of social work, master of science in clinical psychology, master of theology, and Juris Doctor degree in law

Entering the Workforce:

Georgia Academy for the Blind, Houston County schools, Atrium Health, Navicent, Grady Health, GEICO, Bibb County schools, Northside Hospital - Atlanta, PNC Bank

Congratulations to Cassie Montelongo ’22 for receiving the 2022 Mary Mildred Sullivan Award for excellence in character, leadership, service to the community, and commitment to spiritual values.

The Sullivan Award is the only award presented to a graduating senior during commencement exercises.

Originally from Texas, Cassie, who earned her degree in religious studies, summa cum laude, came to Wesleyan by way of Warner Robins. She has been a leader in the Wesley Fellowship; provided service to DayBreak, a center for people experiencing homelessness; was a chapel intern; and last summer earned a prestigious internship in Washington, D.C., with the Poor People’s Campaign. While discerning her call to ministry, Cassie is serving as the Community Ministry intern at Centenary United Methodist Church where she works with children, youth, college, and young adult ministries. She manages social media for Centenary Community Ministries, a non-profit organization that provides resources for local, under-served areas, and she coordinates bike co-op, a service where donated bicycles are made operational for use by community members who need reliable transportation.