Southeastern College of Honors and Excellence recognizes top students

Southeastern Louisiana University’s College of Honors and Excellence celebrated its top students recently at an award ceremony held on campus.

Honors Freshman of the Year finalists are students who began their studies in the fall of 2024. They were nominated by a member of the honors faculty and selected by an essay evaluation and interview panel process.

In order to earn Senior Honors Distinction, students must complete a self-directed prospectus course in the junior year, earn nine hours of upper-level honors credits, including at least one special topics honors seminar, and have an outstanding grade point average.

Honors Medal recipients are students who have earned 15 hours of core credit, nine hours of upper-level honors credit, and successfully authored and defended an honors thesis.

Also recognized at the awards ceremony were Mathematics Professor Alan Cannon as Honors Professor of the Year and ACE Coach Jennifer Whisenhunt as Advisor of the Year.

Listed by city, the following students were recognized at the ceremony:

BATON ROUGE – Erynn Cormier, Phi Kappa Phi Student of the Year; Elijah Phifer, computer science graduating tutor, Student Tutor Leadership Award, and Honors Diploma recipient, computer science; and Cameron Stout, physics graduating tutor.

COVINGTON – Allison Godfrey, Transfer Student of the Year; Elizabeth Morgan Monteleone, Senior Honors Distinction and Honors Diploma recipient, psychology; and Connor Smith, Senior Honors Distinction and general studies graduating tutor.

DENHAM SPRINGS – Dahlia Alkadi, Honors Research Scholar.

DESTREHAN – Andrea Rozas, Senior Honors Distinction.

HAMMOND – Jasmine Gray, Senior Honors Distinction and Honors Diploma recipient, biological sciences; Philip Le Riche, Senior Honors Distinction, Honors Diploma recipient, chemistry and chemistry graduating tutor; Clarniesha Morris, SE1010 Freshman of the Year; and Opeyemi Sajo, Honors Program Freshman of the Year.

HOLDEN – Taylor Ramos, Honors Program Freshman of the Year finalist.

INDEPENDENCE – Ladajia Gaines, Spirit of Southeastern Award.

KENNER – James Guillot, biological sciences graduating tutor.

LIVINGSTON – Casandra Saxon, Senior Honors Distinction and Honors Diploma recipient, physics.

MANDEVILLE – Chloe Catanese, Honors Diploma recipient, mathematics; Fajr Fayed, Honors Diploma recipient, biological sciences; and Blair White, Tutor Spark of Excellence Award.

MARRERO – Amyranai Houston, Senior Honors Distinction; DiJon Smith, finance graduating tutor, Senior Honors Distinction, and Honors Diploma recipient, finance.

PINE – Gavin Hunt, Honors Diploma recipient, English.

PRAIRIEVILLE – Madeline Moore, Honors Program Freshman of the Year finalist.

SLIDELL – Aaron Madison, Honors Diploma recipient, computer science.

TICKFAW – Emma Day, Senior Honors Distinction; and Miguel Herrara, Honors Program Freshman of the Year finalist.