Academic Honors Day Awards Program

The Committee of Academic Honors held its annual Academic Honors Awards day program in Seymour Gym on Friday, April 16.
All Southern University students who earned a 3.0 gpa or better during the Spring and Fall 2015 semesters were invited to attend. Students receiving scholarships and awards from different community organizations were honored as well.
The program’s theme was “Academic Excellence: a habit, not an act!” The Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost of Southern University, Dr. M. Christopher Brown II, served as the speaker of the ceremony.
Brown earned his Ph.D. at the age of 25 from Pennsylvania State University and is the former President of Alcorn State University while being named 2013 Male HBCU President of the Year, amongst numerous other achievements, awards and honors.
He began his speech with a bold proclaim, “My people, Southern people, Jaguar people, who are we?” Brown spoke about the power of one and how significant changes have occurred in history because of one person who decided to make a difference.
Brown challenged students to become excellent without excuses and stated that no matter how many articles are published in the Advocate or Times-Picayune, Jaguars are on the move. “There is power in each and every one of you,” Brown told students.
Brown spoke of how as Jaguars, we must show up to any battle prepared to fight the opinions and perceptions about Southern University.
“You must not accept anyone’s definition of who you are, where you are going or how you are going to get there,” said Brown.
Graduating senior and nursing major, Anne Chumbow of Cameroon, Africa received the award of “graduating senior with the highest average in the nursing school” with a 3.6 GPA. Chumbow spoke of how humbled and honored she was to be recognized by the university.
“The university makes me feel like it’s worth it to pursue academic excellence. I wasn’t trying to do good to be rewarded but the reward itself makes it all worth it and lets me know my efforts don’t go unnoticed,” finished Chumbow.
The Southern University Symphonic Band provided several musical selections during the ceremony. Students were presented with their monetary awards on stage as their names were called under each division of awards. Memorial awards, community organization awards, department awards of meritorious scholarship, industrial awards and several other special awards were recognized.
Students on the honor roll , as Chancellor Scholars, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.4 as a sophomore, junior and senior were honored along with students who maintained a straight A average and made the Dean’s List. Students of the Honors College who participated in the University Honors Program were honored as well.
Freshman Computer Science major, Michelle Harris of Memphis, Tennessee received an award as an honor student with a 3.5 GPA. “It feels good to know that Southern looks out for their students and that we do matter and that we are important. It’s a great accomplishment,” finished Harris.