Mia Weigel receives President’s Award; three returning students named John B. Begley Scholars.
COLUMBIA, KY. (04/16/2025) It was a day to celebrate academic achievements, scholarship and outstanding teaching in 2024-25 as members of the Lindsey Wilson College community celebrated the school’s annual honors convocation on Tuesday, April 15, in Biggers Sports Center.
The more than 50 awards given included recognizing the top graduating students in Lindsey Wilson’s six academic schools, students and organizations that went above and beyond the call of duty to serve the campus and larger community, and professors for their work with students.
The President’s Award — given annually to a member of the graduating classes — was also named, and three new John B. Begley Scholars were announced.
Mia Weigel of Danville, Kentucky, received the President’s Award, which is presented to the graduating senior who in the opinion of the Lindsey Wilson president best embodies the Lindsey Wilson mission. A human services and counseling and psychology double major, Weigel has logged hundreds of hours serving as one of the college’s Bonner Scholars.
Three Lindsey Wilson students were named John B. Begley Scholars, which is one of the most prestigious scholarship programs in Kentucky and one of the more unique programs in higher education. The three new Begley Scholars are: Sydney Akin ’27, an elementary education major from Greensburg, Kentucky; Morgan Bryant ’26, an English major from Shelbyville, Kentucky; and Connor Wilhoit ’26, a psychophysiology major from Campbellsville, Kenutcky.
The Lindsey Wilson Singers were named the Organization of the Year by the Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association.
Two faculty members were also honored. Business faculty member JC Phelps was named Teacher of the Year by the Lindsey Wilson Student Government Association, and School of Business and Communication Dean Benson Sexton ’04 received the Exemplary Teacher Award from The United Methodist Church Division of Higher Education.
Lindsey Wilson’s 121st commencement ceremony will be held in three parts: at 6 p.m. CT Friday, May 2, and at 10 a.m. and at 2 p.m. CT Saturday, May 3, all at Biggers Sports Center.
Lindsey Wilson College — 2025 Honors Convocation Awards
Presidential Awards
* President’s Award: Mia Weigel of Danville, Kentucky
* Returning John B. Begley Scholars: Sydney Akin of Greensburg, Kentucky; Morgan Bryant of Shelbyville, Kentucky; and Connor Wilhoit of Campbellsville, Kenutcky
* Alma Jones Wade Scholarship: Sirenna Adams of Danville, Kentucky
Named Awards
* Boyd-Lubker Award: Morgan Bryant of Shelbyville, Kentucky
* R.V. Bennett Scholarship Award: Meghan Roberts of Manchester, Kentucky
* Noma Dix Winston History Scholarship: A.J. Grant of Pisgah, Alabama
* Emily Vickers Endowed Award in Art: Alejandra Formoso Recarey of Muros, Spain
* Elizabeth Lowe Whitfield Nursing Award: Haley Cook of Russell Springs, Kentucky
School of Arts and Humanities
* Art: Tezon Mitchell of Greensburg, Kentucky
* History: Sarah Watson of Burkesville, Kentucky
* Political Science: Maia Sapp of Crestwood, Kentucky
* Social Science: Jada Whited of Stanford, Kentucky
* Women and Gender Studies: Aven Sanders of Perryville, Kentucky
School of Business and Communication
* Accounting: Tyler Tolle of Lancaster, Ohio
* Communication: Karli Hurt of Russell Springs, Kentucky, and Sarah Watson of Burkesville, Kentucky
* Human Resources: Zachary Pruitt of Burkesville, Kentucky
* Management: Spencer Garner of Gallatin, Tennessee
* Management, Online: Carissa Higginbotham of Bardstown, Kentucky
* Media Studies: Camryn Reece of Knob Lick, Kentucky
* Recreation, Tourism and Sport Management: Jozlen Brisbon of Clarksville, Tennessee
School of Professional Studies
* Christian Ministries: Mattie Coomer of Columbia
* Criminal Justice: Shanda Dunn of Columbia
* Education, PE/ Health: Conner Robinson of Manchester, Kentucky
* Education, Middle Grades: Shelby Bell of Monticello, Kentucky
* Education, P-5 Elementary Education: Olivia Rudder of London, Kentucky
* Education, Secondary Education: Autumn McCutchen of Burkesville, Kentucky
* Outstanding Nursing Student, Sophomore: Ellie Cheatham of Columbia and Benjamin Garland of Jamestown, Kentucky
* Outstanding Nursing Student, Junior: Anna Dangelmaier of Liberty, Kentucky
* Outstanding Nursing Student, Senior: Bailey Baker of Science Hill, Kentucky
School of Professional Counseling
* Counseling: Bryanna Ireland of Monticello; Madyson Jones of Elizabethtown, Kentucky; Taylor Kiser of Campbellsville, Kentucky
* Human Services and Counseling: Hailee Corbin of Greensburg, Kentucky
School of Mathematics and Sciences
* Biology: Maufinda Howard of Campbellsville, Kentucky
* Mathematics: Fabio Martin of Valladolid, Spain
* Psychology: Trista Duncan of Louisville, Kentucky
* Psychophysiology: Rachel Tomlinson of Somerset, Kentucky
* Sustainability: Karolina Bidnik of Warsaw, Poland
School of Graduate Business and Technology
* Business Administration: Alina Siegel of Ahrensburg, Germany
* Cybersecurity Management: Suresh Vadlamudi of Irving, Texas
* Data Science: Chitrika Tadiboina of Dublin, Ohio
* Technology Management: Siddhartha Maduri of Lexington, Kentucky
Student Life Awards
* Outstanding Peer Tutor, Academic Success Center: Maufinda Howard of Campbellsville, Kentucky
* Outstanding Peer Tutor, Math Center: Elisa Burzio of Chieri, Italy
* Outstanding Writing Consultant: Alina Siegel of Ahrensburg, Germany
* Outstanding Science Lab Assistant: MaCayla Falls of Elk Horn, Kentucky
* Outstanding Library Assistant: Jerrica McFarland of Tompkinsville, Kentucky
* Outstanding Thespian: Casey Honaker of Lexington, Kentucky
* Orpheus (literary journal), Creative Writing: Yesh Singayao of Vine Grove, Kentucky
* Orpheus, Poetry: Jerrica McFarland of Tompkinsville, Kentucky
* Orpheus, Artwork: Tezon Mitchell of Greensburg, Kentucky
* Scholar-Athlete (Female): Maaike Broersma of Bodegraven, Netherlands
* Scholar-Athlete (Male): Mateo Marasas of Buenos Aires, Argentina
* Organization of the Year: Lindsey Wilson Singers
Lindsey Wilson College President William T. Luckey Jr. presents the 2024-25 President’s Award to Mia Weigel ’25, a human services and counseling and psychology double major from Danville, Kentucky, at the college’s annual Honors Convocation, held Tuesday, April 15, at Biggers Sports Center.
Three returning Lindsey Wilson College students were named John B. Begley Scholars by President William T. Luckey Jr. at the college’s annual Honors Convocation, held Tuesday, April 15, at Biggers Sports Center. From left: Connor Wilhoit ’26 of Campbellsville, Kentucky; Morgan Bryant ’26 of Shelbyville, Kentucky; Sydney Akin ’27 of Greensburg, Kentucky; and Luckey.
Lindsey Wilson College Student Government President Zachariah Lawson of Williamsburg, Kentucky, right, presents the Teacher of the Year Award to business faculty member JC Phelps at the college’s annual Honors Convocation, held Tuesday, April 15, at Biggers Sports Center.
Lindsey Wilson College Student Vice President for Academic Affairs Ray Lutgring, left, presents the Exemplary Teacher Award from The United Methodist Church Division of Higher Education to School of Business and Communication Dean Benson Sexton ’04 at the college’s annual Honors Convocation, held Tuesday, April 15, at Biggers Sports Center.
Lindsey Wilson College Student Vice President for Administration & Finance Mark Coleman takes a picture of Fikir Tefera ’25 of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and psychology program coordinator and professor William Neace following the college’s annual Honors Convocation, held Tuesday, April 15, at Biggers Sports Center.
Lindsey Wilson College is a vibrant liberal arts college in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson has an enrollment of more than 4,000 students, and the college offers 28 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The college’s 28 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson College)