Southeastern Honors and International Initiatives recognizes top students
Thursday, May 13, 2021
by: Tonya Lowentritt
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University’s Honors and International Initiatives
honored students at its spring 2021 recognition ceremony May 5. Students were recognized
in four areas - Scholars Diploma, Sophomore Honors Distinction, Freshman of the Year,
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.
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. One hundred seventeen students were inducted into the
Thirteen Club.
Honors Freshman of the Year finalists were nominated by a member of the honors
faculty and selected by an essay-evaluation and interview panel process. Five students
were selected as finalists. Finalists included Nicholas Breaux of Central, Gage Dawsey
of Denham Springs, Fajr Fayed of Egypt, Alexandra Gomez-Resendiz of Ponchatoula, and
Theresa Brown of Slidell, with Fayed claiming the title.
Thirteen students were recognized for earning the university’s Honors Diploma.
Recipients included Rachael Tullier of Baton Rouge in psychology; Ryleigh Magee of
Denham Springs and Victoria Rocquin of Gramercy, both in communication; Emery Foster
of Hammond in art and Rachel Yang in general studies, both of Hammond; Basanta Khakurel
of Nepal in biology, Lauren Ashley Griffin-Scudari in biological sciences, Hannah
Henderson in finance, and Sabrina Hickey in kinesiology, all of Ponchatoula; Cameron
Diez of St. Amant in kinesiology; Saydie Rusk of Simmesport in marketing; Rebecca
Shields of Slaughter in sociology and criminal justice; and Victoria Santana of Slidell
in management.
The list of students receiving Sophomore Honors distinction includes the following:
BATON ROUGE – Nicholas Manchester
BELLE ROSE – Kamian Buggage
COVINGTON – Joshua Couture, Brittany Murdock and Tanner Rapier
DENHAM SPRINGS – Madelyn Bernard, Jonathan Taylor, and Caroline Watson
FRANKLINTON– Marissa Buttone
GARYVILLE– Alyssa Duhe
HAMMOND – Zoe Burns, Madalyn Duncan, Allie Ferrara, and Ally Holloway
HATTIESBURG, MISS. – Erin Williams
LACOMBE – Kaylee Bech
MADISONVILLE – Stephanie Carter
MANDEVILLE – Mateo Chaney
PAULINA – Carter McComack
PONCHATOULA – Jourdan Olmstead
SLIDELL – Madison Garrett, DaJonique Johnson, Christinia Lindsly, and Zoe McKean
TERRYTOWN – Joshua Freeman
WALKER – Hannah Bridevaux