Southeastern Honors and International Initiatives recognizes top students
Tuesday, May 5, 2020 
by: Tonya Lowentritt
OUTSTANDING HONORS STUDENT OF THE YEAR - Southeastern Louisiana University’s Honors and International Initiatives Program honored biological sciences major Tyler Tran of Slidell as the Outstanding Honors Student of the Year. Tran was selected for the award as the student who exemplifies the best spirit of academic achievement, community citizenship, and other service.
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s Honors and International Initiatives
Program was unable to host the traditional spring recognition ceremony due to coronavirus
restrictions. Instead, the Honors Program announced its 2019-20 award winners online
on April 29. Students submitted videos, biographies, and photos to create a gallery
for the virtual celebration.
The virtual celebration also announced the 2019-20 Honors Student of the Year,
biological sciences major Tyler Tran of Slidell. Each year the Honors Program selects
one student who exemplifies the best spirit of academic achievement, community citizenship,
and other service.
“Tyler Tran is one of the best-rounded candidates for this award I’ve ever seen.
He is a great student and has presented his research on phylogenetics with Dr. April
Wright’s lab at professional conferences,” said Honors Director Dr. Claire Procopio.
“He is a leader in multiple campus organizations including Honors Ambassadors, DOA,
and BUgS with a serious service mindset. He balances all of that with working and
volunteering with underprivileged kids to inspire them to pursue STEM careers.”
The program also recognized Instructor of Acting and Directing Chad Winters as
the 2019-20 Honors Professor of the Year. Winters was selected by Honors Program students.
Students were recognized in four areas - Scholars Diploma, Freshman of the Year
Nominees, Sophomore Honors Distinction, and Thirteen Club.
Students who receive the Scholars Diploma have earned fifteen hours of honors
core credit, nine hours of upper-level honors credit in their major, and successfully
authored and defended an honors thesis. This is the highest achievement an Honors
Program student can attain and marks them as dedicated scholars in their chosen majors.
Nominees selected for Honors Freshman of the Year were chosen for their leadership
inside and outside of the classroom.
Honorees of Sophomore Honors distinction have completed fifteen hours of honors
credit earning no grade lower than a ‘B’ by the end of the fourth regular semester.
Thirteen Club Honors Society inductees are seniors who have at least a 3.2 grade
point average, never earned a grade lower than a ‘C’ and have completed all of their
academic work at Southeastern. The Honors Program inducted 131 students into the Thirteen
Club.
Ten students were recognized for earning the university’s Honors Diploma. Recipients
included Katelynn Bartholomew of Tickfaw in Communication, Karley Bordelon of Hammond
in General Studies, Pedro Jimenez Antenucci of Madisonville in Chemistry, Kristen
Johnson of Liberty, Miss., in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Grace Klein of
Covington in Kinesiology, Mollie Millet of Morgan City in Political Science, Surah
Moss Muhammad of Laplace in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Ryker Rowe of Mandeville
in History, Andrew Sherman of Ponchatoula in Biological Sciences, and Lindsey Watkins
of Baton Rouge in English.
Students nominated for Freshman of the Year include the following:
FRANKLINTON – Madison Ledet
GONZALES – Zachary Poche
HAMMOND – Zoe Burns and Andrew Loyacano
MANDEVILLE – John Loftin and Razan Qamar
METAIRIE – Mariana Aguilera
PAULINA – Carter McComack
PORT ALLEN – Braxton Michel
PRAIRIEVILLE – Daniela Morales
TERRYTOWN – Joshua Freeman
ZACHARY – Maya Green
The list of students receiving Sophomore Honors distinction includes the following:
BAKER – Kaela Moore
BATON ROUGE – Dean Gautreau, Tianna Gotch, and Evian Vo
BELLE CHASSE – Abbigail Guilbeau
BOGALUSA – Joseph Ezell
BUSH – Celina Hoover
COVINGTON – Delaney Bright and Catherine Hamilton
DENHAM SPRINGS – Anabelle Jennings, Ryleigh Magee, Phoenix Morel and Lorren Tannehill
GEISMAR – Brian Bourg
GONZALES – Jennifer Alvarado
GRAMERCY – Victoria Rocquin
GREENWELL SPRINGS – Kamryn Fouts and Caroline Leblanc
HAMMOND – Katelyn Seghers and Rachel Yang
HOUMA – Alvin Delaune
LAGOS, NIGERIA – Mercy Agbo
MADISONVILLE – Megan Caillouet and Pedro Jiminez Antenucci,
MANDEVILLE – Jacey Fitzmorris and Kate White
METAIRIE – Emily Boudreaux, Renee Boudreaux, and Alaura Cervini
NEW ORLEANS – Jamal Lawson
PEARL RIVER – Colwyn Klemencic and Amy Schneida
PENNSYLVANIA, PA – Chloe Jones
PICAYUNE, MS – Alexandra Lawson
PONCHATOULA – Miranda Bickford, Hannah Henderson, Chasity Kyzar, and Mallory Pecoraro
PRAIRIEVILLE – Elizabeth Edwards
SAINT AMANT – Julia Roubique
SIMMESPORT – Saydie Rusk
SLIDELL – Madison Peters
SORRENTO – Amber Hebert
