Six students were recently recognized as outstanding students by their departments in the College of Liberal and Performing Arts at Southern Arkansas University.
Donika Ross, an English major from Magnolia, was named the Outstanding Student for the entire College. She was also the Outstanding Student from the Department of English and Foreign Languages.
According to Ross’ professors, she never fails to impress with a tenacious desire to learn and informs the learning of others.
“Other students often refer to something Donika had said, having found that the comments enlarged their thinking,” said Dr. Shannin Schroeder, associate professor of English and director of the Writing Center.
Ross received a presidential scholarship to attend SAU. She arrived in 2001 and volunteered for writing festivals and poetry readings. She was honored with a fellowship for the Bucknell University Institute for Younger Poets in the summer of 2004. She received a student research grant in 2003-04, has presented at the international Sigma Tau Delta convention and Arkansas Undergraduate Research Conference, and has won numerous awards in poetry.
She is a member of the Emerging Writers Club and Sigma Tau Delta. She has served as a writing consultant for the SAU Writing Center.
In the fall, Ross will attend the master of fine arts program in poetry at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Department of Art and Design recognized Shelly Prado as its Outstanding Student from the 2004-05 academic year.
Prado is a graphic design major from Camden.
“Her fluency in both English and Spanish would make her an asset to any fortunate company that decides to employ her,” said Doug Waterfield, chair of the Department of Art and Design. “Her communication skills are exemplary and her good attitude and disposition make her both a role model and encouragement to other students.”
Prado has put her instruction and training in graphic design to good use by hand lettering and engraving for several companies in the region. Freelance work has given her the opportunity to work on a mural-sized logo on the side of a church building in Stephens.
She has received two awards from the Arkansas Press Association and was named to Who’s Who Among American Junior Colleges in 1999.
Kasi Lambert, a social work major from Hampton, was named the Outstanding Student from the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Lambert has served as historian, vice president, and president of the Social Work Club.
“Kasi’s leadership skills have taken the members on several successful campaigns during her time in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences,” said Jan Duke, chair of the Department.
According to Duke, Lambert designed and sold T-shirts to raise money for phone cards for the military men and women overseas so they could call home for Christmas. Her efforts were recognized on local radio stations and in newspapers.
She is a member of Phi Alpha and Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society.
Jessica Beel was named the Outstanding Student from the Department of History, Political Science, and Geography.
Beel, a political science major from Texarkana, has been accepted into law school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
She can be seen around the SAU campus working for The Bray as a photographer and reporter. She also works as a lab assistant and student public relations practitioner. For the last four years, she has tutored for the chemistry and biology departments.
Beel is a member of the National Honor Society and earned the foundation scholarship in 2001. In 2002, she was awarded the Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarship. She received the Arkansas Student Assistance Grant in 2003.
She is a member of the Political Affairs Club, Pre-Law Club, Pi Gamma Mu, and Alpha Chi.
Alicia Covington, a music education major from Buckner, received the award for Outstanding Student from the Department of Music.
Covington served as drum major for the SAU marching band for three years. She also represented the Department of Music on the state level by being selected as a member of the Arkansas Intercollegiate Band for three consecutive years.
She has also been involved in work throughout the south Arkansas community. She has served as music director for the First Baptist Church in Stamps and has been a member of the Young at Heart Jazz Band in El Dorado.
Covington is a member of Kappa Delta Pi and Alpha Chi. She served as president of the local chapter of the Music Educator’s National Conference. She recently received an award for excellence in the Praxis testing series.
The Department of Theatre and Mass Communication named Tracey Halbert as its Most Outstanding Student.
Halbert is a theatre major from Buckner.
“She is a strong leader in the Department and has successfully managed to perform with very high standards all while maintaining her role as a wife and mother to three children,” said Daryl Phillipy, assistant professor of theater and acting and directing. “Her academic work, as well as her production assignments in the Department, has been consistently well done.”
This spring, Halbert has tutored a fifth-grade student at Central Elementary School in Magnolia.
She was recently inducted into Alpha Psi Omega.
