Gadsden Honors Day

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Gadsden State Community College also hosted an Honors Day at the Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center in Gadsden to recognize student achievements and scholarship presentations.

 

Traditionally one of the highest honors presented each spring is the Allen-Ray Award.  The award, which has been presented at every Honors Day program over the past 51 years, is presented in honor of the late Sen. James B. Allen and the late Jack Ray, former CEO of the Exchange Bank of Alabama.  Both men were active supporters of Gadsden State.  Anirban Biswas is the 2017 recipient of the Allen-Ray Award.  He was presented the award by Catherine Martin, granddaughter of Jack Ray and marketing director at Exchange Bank.

 

Biswas, an international student from Bangladesh, earned an associate degree in Pre-Engineering. The 4.0 student earned a spot on the All Alabama Academic Team and was consistently on the President’s List. He was included in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities and received the Gadsden State Alumni Association Scholarship in spring 2016. While at Gadsden State, he was the vice president of service for Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society and president of the student chapter of the Gadsden State Alumni Association. Biswas was a member of the Student Without Borders Club, the Science, Math and Engineering Club and served as a tutor for Student Support Services. He was crowned Homecoming King in the fall of 2016.

 

In addition to winning the Allen-Ray Award, Biswas also was awarded a scholarship worth $40,000 to Troy University as well as the Cardinal Foundation/IPC Aerospace Scholarship.

 

The President’s Cup, a designated award for students who demonstrate exceptional success in all phases of college life, is presented each year to students in both the academic and technical divisions. It is given by Dr. Martha Lavender, president of Gadsden State.

 

The Academic division recipient is Brett William Bobo from Rainsville, who transferred to Auburn University to pursue a degree in Poultry Science. He was a Gadsden State Ambassador and was named to the President’s List. He was a member of Mu Alpha Theta and Phi Theta Kappa. He was included in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.

 

Bobo has earned a number of scholarships to Auburn University worth a total of $21,200 over a two-year period, including the Board of Trustees Endowed Scholarship, Ever to Conquer Scholarship for Transfer Students; Dr. Robert Alexander Nunn Endowed Scholarship and the Claude I. and Ruth Laubenthal Carter Endowed Scholarship. He also was awarded the Outstanding Ambassador Award.

 

The Technical division recipient of the President’s Cup is Jiawei Hoang of Cedar Bluff, who earned an associate degree in Electrical Technology in May 2017. He had already earned his certification in Carpentry. He is a member of the National Technical Honor Society and the National Home Builder Association. He was a tutor for electrical engineering students. He was included in Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities and was on the President’s List. Hoang continues his education at Jacksonville State University.

 

Two Etowah County students were presented awards for outstanding achievement. The Outstanding Achievement Awards recognize students who have succeeded in pursuit of higher education in spite of varying traumas, adversities, personal losses and difficulties.

 

The Outstanding Achievement Awards given at the Wallace Drive Campus event went to Dorothy Marie Dusendschon of Gadsden and Abby Ferguson of Rainbow City. The awards were presented by Jesse Osborn, a math instructor.

 

Dusendschon was a Realtime Reporting student at Gadsden State’s East Broad Campus. She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and served as a leader for freshman orientation at Gadsden State. She was previously named Outstanding Music Student and Outstanding Choir Student. Completing her college education has been a task. At times she has worked three jobs to make ends meet. She has managed to assist her grandparents with their everyday tasks in addition to maintaining her grades, jobs and own household.

 

Ferguson earned an associate degree in General Studies. She hopes to one day become an environmental engineer. At Gadsden State, she was a member of the Science, Math and Engineering Club and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Ferguson has overcome drug addiction, a difficult childhood, health issues and abuse to become a successful college student with a 3.69 GPA.

 

Other students recognized at Honors Day at Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center include:

 

University of Alabama Scholarship Recipients: Katie Bohannon, Kaleb Mostiller-Kelly and Maia Flores, all of Gadsden; Paul Kim, Princess Spikes and Rachel Whetstone, all of Anniston; Jake Leath of Boaz; Tariah Reynolds of Childersburg; Carly Rich of Southside and Emily Weng of Heflin

 

University of Alabama/Huntsville Scholarship Recipients: Paola Denys Ramierz Hernandez of Attalla; Niranjan Thapaliya and Nisana Thapaliya, both of Rainbow City; Shaunte Vincent of Oxford; Michael Butler and Chasity Nicole Harrell, both of Gadsden; James Hill of Hokes Bluff and Beverly Hulsey of Piedmont

 

Auburn University Scholarship Recipients: Dustin Gunter of Gadsden, Matthew Reaves of Southside and Taylor Wynn of Centre

 

Troy University Scholarship Recipients: Torren Wilson of Piedmont, Peyton Williams of Southside, Tariah Reynolds of Childersburg and Jasmine Adams of Cedar Bluff

 

Barry Boatwright Memorial Scholarship Recipient: Amber Catlett of Oxford

 

BBVA/Compass Bank Scholarship Recipients: Zachary Harris of Altoona; Andrews Chavez and William Scott, both of Albertville; Juan Pinedo of Roanoke; and Clayton McDaniel of Eastaboga

 

James L. Brown Free Enterprise Scholarship Recipient: Christina Rosch of Jacksonville

 

Cardinal Foundation/Benjamin Steinberg Nursing Scholarship Recipient: Brandi Richardson of Gadsden

 

Cardinal Foundation/Gerald Acker Scholarship Recipients: Cole Beauchamp of Albertville and Jared Blackwell of Collinsville

 

Cardinal Foundation/Rip Reagan Show Band Scholarship Recipients: Jacob Callahan and Victoria Heath, both of Anniston

 

Gadsden State Alumni Association Scholarship Recipients: Cole Beauchamp of Albertville; Esther Adewuyi and Oreoluwa Ariyibi, both of Nigeria

 

Sue McMeekin Griffith Scholarship: Kinna Harper of Gadsden

 

Chad Hawkins Educational Foundation Scholarship Recipient: Cody Fulmer of Anniston

 

E.O. McCord Endowment Scholarship: Lauren Mitchell of Collinsville

 

Rena and Edgar McCord Scholarship Recipient: Mollie Free of Gadsden

 

Nan Pentecost Scholarship:  Christina Couch of Lyerly, Ga.

 

Linda Roberts Memorial for Highest Achievement in OAD: Vonda Baker of Gadsden

 

Nell Thomas Scholarship: Frieda Elston of Oxford

 

Jim Vanderford Scholarship Recipients: Trevor Sauls and K.C. Devoe, both of Fort Payne; and Tomas Hernandez of Albertville

 

Dr. Jesse L. Walker Jr. Business Faculty Scholarship Recipient: Alida Youngblood of Leesburg

 

W.C. West/Pentecost Scholarship Recipients: Jonathan Grizzard of Gadsden and John Simpson of Glencoe

 

Lambda Epsilon Chi Paralegal Honor Society Inductees: Kimberly Erland of Jacksonville; Bria Gresham of Elgin, Ill.; Jennifer Watson of Alexandria

 

Outstanding Achievement in Paralegal Studies: Bria Gresham of Elgin, Ill.

 

Outstanding Child Development Student: Seinna Avery of Gadsden

 

Outstanding Phi Theta Kappa Officer: Katie Bohannon of Glencoe

 

All Alabama Academic Team Member: Jasmine Adams of Cedar Bluff and Anirban Biswas of Bangladesh

 

Outstanding Mathematics/Pre-Engineering Majors:  Summer Duley of Ashville, Katherine Yohe of Gadsden and Naye Yoni of Burkina Faso

 

Outstanding Achievement in Accounting: Esther Adewuyi of Nigeria

 

Outstanding Achievement in Accounting Technology: Meredith Hubbard of Sand Rock

 

Outstanding Achievement in Criminal Justice: Brandon Wiggins of Center Point

 

Outstanding Achievement in Economics: Daniel Lee of Springville

 

Outstanding Achievement in Office Administration: Misti Blevins of Hokes Bluff

 

Outstanding Ambassador: Jasmine Adams of Cedar Bluff, Brett Bobo of Rainsville and Taylor Wynn of Centre

 

Outstanding Choral Student: Sara Holt of Rainbow City; Dannah Dougherty of Hokes Bluff and Jacob Callahan of Saks

 

Outstanding Show Band Student: Myles Probus of Glencoe and Eric Burgess of Centre

 

Highest Achievement in Spanish: Kristen Gentry of Wellington

 

Achievement in Literature: Katie Bohannon of Glencoe and Esther Adewuyi of Nigeria

 

Achievement in Creative Writing: Holly Oswalt of Attalla

 

Charles Hill Outstanding Honors Student:  Katie Bohannon of Gadsden

 

Outstanding International Student: Khawla Nsibi of Tunisia

 

Outstanding SGA Member: Jasmine Adams of Cedar Bluff

 

Outstanding Chemistry Student: Jessen Burk of Centre and Summer Duley of Ashville

 

Outstanding Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Student: Levi Kellum of Ohatchee

 

Outstanding Auto Collision Repair Technology Student: Logan Hurley of Gaylesville

 

Outstanding Automotive Manufacturing Technology Student: Daniel Jacobs of Piedmont

 

Outstanding Automotive Service Technology: Andrew Staples of Jacksonville

 

Outstanding Carpentry Student: Jose Ortiz of Geraldine

 

Outstanding Civil Engineering Technology Student: Khawla Nsibi of Tunisia

 

Outstanding Electrical Technology Student: Hunter Shane Pike of Glencoe

 

Outstanding Electronic Engineering Technology Student: Theodis L. Perdue of Gadsden

 

Outstanding Industrial Automation Technology Student: Jordan A. Gaddy of Piedmont

 

Outstanding Mechanical Design Technology Student: Isaac Sims of Hokes Bluff

 

Outstanding Precision Machining Student: Nolan Phillips of Ohatchee

 

Outstanding Realtime Reporting Technology Student: Analisa Arnold of Huntsville

 

Outstanding Salon and Spa Management Student: Shelby Snead of Ohatchee

 

Outstanding Welding Technology Student: Isaac Arnold of Lickskillet