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Senior Honors Celebration 2023

Augustana College will hold its annual Senior Honors Celebration on May 26 in Denkmann Memorial Building's Wallenberg Hall. The list of honorees is below.

Student Government Association Awards

Outstanding Student Leader: Claudia X. Vallejo Vilches

Outstanding Student Organization: Global Engagement Team

Presidential Service Award: Sofia Soo Briggs

Senior Honors (4.0 GPA)

Emily Acquaviva, Jack Beemsterboer, Kathryn Benshish, Abigail Ann Johnson, Kylie Marie Jozwik, Madison Ann Knutsen, Jessica Mangers, Alexander Michael Mortenson, Rachel Murray, Eric David Reinertsen, Allison Schmoll

Lincoln Academy of Illinois Student Laureate

William Nishal Weems

Departmental honors and awards

Accounting

Outstanding Students in Accounting: Virgel Ross Javier Carrillo, Alison Renae Ogden

Students of Distinction in Accounting: Eirik Harangen Andersen, Jeremy D. Brown, Daniel Kenneth Carr, Michaela Ellen Magee, Ava Rogers

Art and Art History

Augustana Art and Graphic Design Research Senior Award: Nhung Phuong Tran Nguyen

Art History Scholar Award: Andrew Russell Gray

Dr. Donna Bergen and Dr. Thomas Madden Whistler Research Fellow Award: Hannah Elizabeth Knuth

Biology

Biology Majors with Distinction: Kylie Marie Jozwik, Grace Elizabeth Nogaj

Biology Majors Honorable Mention: Alison Nicole Lawrence, Paige Elizabeth Lundborg

Pre-Medicine Majors with Distinction: Russell Andrew Schmidt

Pre-Medicine Majors Honorable Mention: Meghan Patricia Walsh, Zaina M. Rumbolz

Business Administration

Outstanding Senior Business Administration Majors: Rachel Murray, Allison Schmoll

Outstanding Senior International Business Administration Major: Eirik Harangen Andersen

Chemistry

Albert L. Eliason Endowed Scholarship Award: Moreen Akomea-Ampeh

Anna Lesisz-Wartman Biochemistry Award: Madeline Futian Herwig, Alexander Michael Mortenson

Classics

CAMWS Award for Outstanding Achievement in Classical Studies: Kira Amaka Banks

Award for Best Research by an Eta Sigma Phi Laureate: Henry Squire Webb

Eta Sigma Phi Honorees, National Classics Honor Society: Kira Amaka Banks, Morgan A. Rostamian, Henry Squire Webb

Communication Studies

Outstanding Senior Inquiry Award: Brendan Fritz

Multimedia Journalism and Mass Communication

Outstanding Senior Inquiry Award: Joseph Edward McCoy

Frank and Barbara Wright Observer Award for Excellence in Journalism: Aubrey Grace Lathrop 

Data Analytics

Outstanding Student in Data Analytics: Eirik Harangen Andersen 

Economics

Tallgrass Capital Endowed Award for Outstanding Seniors in Economics: Joseph Nicolo Marcucci, Caleb T. Stone

Senior Honors in Economics: Brooke Elaine Ziegenhorn

English

Roald Tweet Scholar in English Studies: Gareth Kent

Dorothy Parkander Scholar in English Studies: Isabelle Anna Jordan

Peggy Anderson Creative Writer: Carly Kathleen Davis

Geography

Illinois Geographical Society Outstanding Senior Geographer Award: Claire Autumn Bess

Robin Hoffmann Award for Scholarship and Service: Hannah Nicole Weber

Senior Research Award: Rachel Alexandra Montesano

Geology

Distinction in Geology: Bailey Anne Willis

Geology with Merit Departmental Honors: Hannah Morgan Johnson, Mari Kathleen Kelley

History

O.F. Ander Award for the Outstanding History Student: Jack Beemsterboer

Cletus Melchior Award for Outstanding Future Educator: William Walden Crouch

Daughters of Founders and Patriots Award for Outstanding Achievement in American History: Quinn Fabish

Mark Schweibert Spirit of History Award: Jacob Dean Uhlmann

Kinesiology

Kinesiology Major with Distinction: Zaina M. Rumbolz

Kinesiology Major Honorable Mention: Timothy K. Swaney

Mathematics and Computer Science

Andrew W. Williamson Award for Excellence and Achievement in Mathematical Sciences: Rachel Anne Heikkinen

Donald E. McLaughlin Award for Excellence and Achievement in Computer Science: Christopher Le

Harry Nelson Award for Excellence and Achievement in Applied Mathematics: Jared Andrew Reiling

Phi Mu Epsilon, National Honorary Mathematics Society: Sofia Soo Briggs, Viet Quoc Bui, Rachel Anne Heikkinen, Vinh Ngoc Le, Matteo Raphael Marcheschi, Liam Rhett Meal, Viet Le Nguyen, Jared Andrew Reiling, Erica Leigh Smith, Anne Frances Stevenson, Bao Dinh Gia Tran, Joshua John Van Essen

al-Khwārizmī  Computer Science Honors Society: Paul Addai, Viet Quoc Bui, Huy Nguyen, Estephanos Bekele Jebessa, Loc Le, Vinh Ngoc Le, Matteo Raphael Marcheschi, Rachel Alexandra Montesano, Minh Duc Nguyen, Viet Le Nguyen

Music

Presser Scholar: Casey Daniel Cromp

Ruth E. Hagelin Scholarship: Rachel Anne Heikkinen

Pi Kappa Lambda: Casey Daniel Cromp, Rachel Anne Heikkinen, Emma F. Pilmer, Jared Andrew Reiling

Physics

Physics Major with Distinction: Henry Squire Webb

Cecilia Vogel Quantumberry Award: Sean Michael Rickman

Political Science

Outstanding Political Science Majors: Ayradi Joy Catron, Robert Charles Fast III

Political Science Majors with Distinction: Chi Khanh Vu, Spencer James Warfield

Departmental Leadership Award: Sarah Elizabeth Fiorito

David Dehnel Award in Public Law: Brendan Fritz, Joseph Nicolo Marcucci

Public Health

Distinguished Scholars in Public Health: Nadia DeCastris, Madeline Futian Herwig, Abdul S. Kamara, Liliana L. Peterson, Eric David Reinertsen, Seth Rohr

Religion

Outstanding Religion Major: Abigail Leigh Larson

Sociology and Anthropology

Alpha Kappa Delta, International Sociology Honor Society: Kathryn Benshish, Claire Autumn Bess, Holly Marie Chesney, Quinn Fabish, Molly Marie Fank, Madeleine Anne Lange, Sofia Frances Ramirez-Bertolasi

Theatre Arts

Augustana Endowment Society CAST Award: Riley Scranton

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

The Nancy Huse Award for Outstanding Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Senior: Gavinya Anandi Wijesekera

WGSS Outstanding Senior Award: Briana Louise Kunstman, Alison Nicole Lawrence

World Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Asian Languages

Outstanding Academic Achievement in Chinese: Madeleine Anne Lange

Outstanding Academic Achievement in Japanese: Madelyn McGraw

Scandinavian Studies

Outstanding Senior in Scandinavian Studies: Maja Caroline Johnson

Excellence in Swedish, Beginning Level: Kat Glusick

Excellence in Swedish, Intermediate/Advanced Levels: Madeline Kusar 

Spanish

Louis C. Belby Award for Outstanding Achievement in Spanish: Esther Claire Zange

Mike D. Finnemann Award for Outstanding Senior Inquiry Project: Emily Acquaviva, Blake Michael Traylor

Barbara Olsen Herrarte Award for Outstanding Spanish for Professional Use Major: Eric David Reinertsen


If you have news, send it to sharenews@augustana.edu! We love hearing about the achievements of our alumni, students and faculty.