The 24th annual Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Awards celebration recognized students for academic achievement and involvement in the Elon Experiences.
Outstanding students along with distinguished faculty and staff members were recognized April 29 at the 24th Annual Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Awards.
The annual celebration included a keynote address by alumnus Brandon Helton ’10, assistant vice president and relationship manager for Wells Fargo Executive Benefits. He recalled attending the Black Excellence Awards as a student and told this year’s recipients that at that time, he didn’t fully realize the advantages he was gaining in earning his Elon degree. “Never stop working to maximize your potential,” Helton said.
The dinner program included a special recognition of Smith Jackson, vice president for student life and dean of students, who is stepping down this spring after 24 years of service. Senior Alexandre Bohannon presented Jackson with the Phillips-Perry Lifetime Service Award. In his acceptance remarks, Jackson recalled growing up in Alabama and witnessing violence by white authorities against blacks during the 1960s. Those experiences shaped his attitudes and his commitment to stand up against injustice.
Also honored at the dinner were Damion Blake, assistant professor of political science and policy studies, with the Wilhelmina Boyd Community Service Award, and dining services staff member Cherryl Payne with the Janice Ratliff Community Service Award.
The awards ceremony included a special student video tribute to Elon President Leo M. Lambert, who has announced plans to conclude his presidency. In his remarks, Lambert told student honorees, “we are proud of you and we hold you up as great examples of what it means to be global citizens of Elon University.”
In her charge to the students, senior Lauren Brown said, “as students of color, we must continue to break the stereotypes…I challenge you to use your platform as Elon students to make change in the world.”
Students honored at the event included the following:
Elon Experiences awards
Internships – K McKay
Study Abroad/Study USA – Maria Gant
Service Learning – Josephine Gardner
Undergraduate Research – Cameron Jackson and Lauren Brown
Leadership – William Tarpley
Highest grade point average for each class
Emily Roper, Alexis Williams, Gabrielle Beamon and La’shaundranique Love Marshall.
Academic Excellence Award for a female athlete
Emily Roper
Academic Excellence Award for a male athlete
Asunji Rashad Maddox
Elon Black Alumni Network Scholarship Award
Arianne Payne
Wilhelmina Boyd Outstanding student in African & African-American Studies
William Christopher Tarpley
Students honored at the ceremony included Maroon Club honorees (grade point average of 3.2-3.49), Gold Club honorees (grade point average of 3.5-3.79), and Phoenix Club honorees (grade point average of 3.8 or higher).
Phoenix Club
Bridgette Agbozo
Gabrielle Beamon
Maya Eaglin
Kayla Ervin
Destiny M. Frett
Dana Knowles
La’shaundranique Marshall
Taylor Noelle McFadden
Tres Marquel McMichael
Stephanie Ntim
El-Khalil Mohammed Khalil Osman
Emily Roper
Kira Nichelle Sedayao
Nyah Spearman
Maurice B. Tosé II “Bear”
Hannah Webster
Alexis Williams
Gold Club
Tiffany Anderson
Alexa Baer
Nicole Baugh
Amanda Benjamin
Judah Brown
Sydney Brown
Loren Brunson
Matthew Clanton
Jordan Claytor
Haley Cole
Micalah Collins
Bernadette Cooper
Brelynd Cyphers
Marta Djalleta
Alanna Dodson
Kiristen Draughn
Amanda Echavarri
Brianna Elder
Kiera Ervin
Jaylan Evans
Olivia Ford
Victoria Ford
Samira Foster
Katelyn Fowler
Josephine Gardner
Jasmine Hager
Alaina Hall
Maria Hamilton
Michelle Harlan
Audrey Harris
Jasmine Hodges
Dyamond Howell
Cameron Jackson
Kelsea Johnson
Jasmine Jones
Lethon Jordan
Jazmine Langley
Chann Little
Yasmeen Lee
Charleen Martins Lopes
K McKay
Caitlin Mehta
Victoria Murphy
Sara Nderitu
Nadia Nobrega
Mariatu Okonofua
Arianne Payne
Jessica Perry
Chandler Posey
Contia’ Prince
Alexis Roberts
George Roberts
Kara Rollock
Lumiere Rostick
Kayla A. Sabre
Vanessa Salama
Perla Salazar-Rangel
Chelsea Saunders
Nosipho Shangase
Sydney Simmons
Joseph Stanley
Sha’leicia Simpson
Aneesha Smith
Erika Swinney
Gary Summers
Naomy Thiombiano
Jasper Thomas
Jordan Vaughn
Sean Webber
Maroon Club
Arnold Ahimbisibwe
Kellcee Batchelor
Morgan Bodenarain
Sydney Boldin
Kaylyn Brock
Kenneth Brown
Lauren Brown
Rachel Brown
Brandon Bush
Dominique Cadet
Crystal Carroll
Alonzo Cee
Mason Chambers
Anthony Chatman
Maxwell Chester
Hannah Cheyney
Patrick Coleman
Victoria Coleman
Eric Cunningham
Kaylin Dance
Mikisha Davis
James Donnell
David Duncan
Jonathan Duen
Sheldon Eberhardt
Fredrick Evans
Maria Gant
Christopher Garner
Jayson Garner
Adria Gunter
Bryanna Hames
Aminata Harris
Jerlene Harris
Madison Harrison
Dante Hart
Donald Harty
Delaney Hinnant
Auston Henderson
Jered Henderson
Megan Hernandez-Greene
Spencer Hodges
Chantrisse Howard
Faith James
Brittany Jeatter
Corey Joyner
Breia Kelley
Jordan Lauher
Kristin Leechow
Shawna’ Harris-Lenoir
Tydechelle Lewis
Janee Lomax
Derrick Luster
Brian MacCalla
Asunji Maddox
Jordyn McAtee
Angelique McKenna
Jordon McRae
Atoria Mills
Charlotte Mitchell
Mary Nickson
Alexander Ofori
Victoria Parrish
Naomi Perry
Jasper Pike
Mariah Posey
Omari Prescod
Carter Rayburn
Erica Richmond
Jenna Reilly
Abbie Robinson
Aaliyah Rodgers
Cierra Seawright
Joshua Simmons
Eliza Singleton
Hanna Smith-Benjamin
Nicholas Spriggs
Sienna Standfield
Jordyn St. Holder
Araya Sykes
Dainan Swoope
William Tarpley
Tuki Tayali
Courtney Thompson
Janay Tyson
Shelby Valeriano
Autumn Vaughn
Imani Vincent
Arielle Watkins
Janice Wheaton
Erin Wilkins
Jordan Williams
Madalynn Williams
Rayven Young
The Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Awards Celebration is presented by Elon’s Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education (CREDE). The planning committee included the following:
Sylvia Muñoz, interim director of the CREDE/director of the Spanish Center
Marilyn Slade, program assistant for the CREDE
Michael Williams, director of campus center operations and conferences
T.J. Bowie, coordinator for residential dining and engagement
Anita Smith, counselor
Princess King, Elon Academy assistant director of college success
Carolyn Ent, director of events, Office of the President
Deidra Smith, assistant director of alumni engagement