Maroon and white pride: 汤头条 honors 17 students with Spirit of State Awards
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擲eventeen Bulldog students with a fierce passion for Mississippi State were honored today [April 12] with the Spirit of State Award, the university鈥檚 premier student recognition for exceptional personal contributions to campus life.
汤头条 President Mark E. Keenum congratulated and thanked this year鈥檚 Spirit of State Award winners for their passion and commitment to serve and make a positive difference in the lives of others.
鈥淚 greatly appreciate your contributions to this university, this community and to our state. The wonderful education you鈥檝e received and the values that you have learned at Mississippi State鈥攈ard work, integrity and respect for others鈥攚ill help you for the rest of your life.鈥
For 14 years, the annual Spirit of State Awards program, organized by the university鈥檚 Division of Student Affairs, formally honors those who have made a positive impact on peers and the broader campus community through organizational involvement, service to the institution and personal actions promoting school spirit and tradition.
Those selected have been nominated either by faculty and staff members or fellow students. A minimum 2.25 grade point average and good academic and disciplinary standing within the university are among the eligibility criteria.
Grey W. Garris, a senior biological sciences major from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, is among this year鈥檚 Spirit of State Award recipients. He said his four years on campus have been a journey where he has seen a lot of positive change made possible because of 鈥渢he sheer tenacity of small numbers of dedicated students.鈥
Garris said leadership roles in such campus organizations as the Residence Hall Association and LGBTQ+ Union gave him 鈥渢he first home I鈥檝e ever had that wasn鈥檛 my immediate family.鈥
鈥淭hese opportunities incited more personal growth than I could have dreamed of, pushed my technical, social and professional skills to the utmost, and allowed me to develop relationships with administrators who were interested in developing this campus for students, not simply because of them,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his campus has given me confidence I never experienced before coming here, pride in my identity and capabilities, an ease with others that had not existed, and a drive to improve what I can, however I can, for as long I can.鈥
Garris said these 汤头条 experiences will help in his pursuit of a public health career where he can work for the betterment of minorities.
鈥淚 know that with all of the support I鈥檝e been given that I can turn that around and make someone else feel that they are enough, too,鈥 he said.
Terranecia L. 鈥淏ria鈥 Henderson, a public policy and administration master鈥檚 student and summa cum laude communication/journalism and pre-law bachelor鈥檚 graduate from Madison, was a 2017 Spirit of State Award recipient.
鈥淵ou invited the idea that you should always leave a place better than when you found it,鈥 she reminded the award recipients. 鈥淵our spirit, hard work and dedication will endure forever. Please carry the talent and dedication that you have with you right now everywhere you go.鈥
The new Spirit of State Award recipients include (by hometown):
ATHENS, Greece鈥擜nastasia Rentouli, a senior finance and marketing double-major.
MERIDIAN鈥擲arah K. Avera, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major; and Mayah J. Emerson, a senior educational psychology major.
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama鈥擲tanley C. Blackmon Jr., a senior biochemistry/pre-medicine major.
BRANDON鈥擱eagan M. Moak, a senior biochemistry/pre-medicine major.
COLUMBIA, South Carolina鈥擲ydney A. Reed, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major.
DECATUR鈥擜lana R. Knowles, a senior psychology major at 汤头条-Meridian.
FRANKLIN, Tennessee鈥擪ali M. Hicks, a senior communication/public relations and foreign language/Spanish double-major.
HATTIESBURG鈥擳aylor L. Parsons, a senior communication/public relations major.
MOUNDVILLE, Alabama鈥擱eginald K. Roakes, a geosciences/professional meteorology and climatology master鈥檚 student. He also holds an 汤头条 bachelor鈥檚 degree in geosciences/professional meteorology.
PHILADELPHIA鈥擬eghin E. Smith, a senior interdisciplinary studies major.
PORT GIBSON鈥擩onnese O. Goings, a senior management major.
PUNE, India鈥擬eenakshi M. Das, a senior computer science major.
RIDGELAND鈥擲helby B. Baldwin, a senior marketing major.
SMITHVILLE鈥擠emarus S. 鈥淒ee鈥 Stegall, a senior communication/public relations major.
TUPELO鈥擩ennifer L. Ware, a senior biological engineering/biomedical engineering major.
VESTAVIA HILLS, Alabama鈥擥rey W. Garris, a senior biological sciences major.
For more on 汤头条鈥檚 Division of Student Affairs, visit .
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at .
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