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Lander Students Inducted into Alpha Chi to Recognize Outstanding Academic Achievement

Wesley Leonard being inducted into Alpha Chi
Lander University history major Wesley Leonard of Clinton, left, receives a medallion from Dr. Alice Taylor Colbert, dean of Lander's College of Arts and Humanities, signifying his induction into the university's Alpha Chi National Honor Society chapter. Leonard was one of 44 Lander students inducted at ceremonies on April 20. To qualify, students must be juniors or seniors who rank in the top 10 percent of their class.

Family and friends gathered at Lander University on April 20 to witness the spring induction of 44 students into Lander's Alpha Chi National College Honor Scholarship Society.

Dr. John Moore, associate professor of philosophy and the chapter coordinator, said the inductees are juniors or seniors in the top 10 percent of their class.

Daniel Ball told the assembled students and guests, "This is the largest Alpha Chi class in my 11 years as Lander president." He added, "You represent the best and the brightest of our students."

When it was chartered in 1957, Lander's Alpha Chi was the first chapter established in South Carolina. Nationwide, nearly 400,000 members have been inducted into the honor society since its beginning in 1922.

At the ceremony, each student signed a registry and was presented an Alpha Chi medallion by deans or other representatives of Lander's four colleges.

The 2011 inductees and their and majors:

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES---Jensea Barker of Simpsonville and Ellen Herring of Aiken, visual arts; Rebecca McKay of Aiken and Heather Harris of Honea Path, music; Amy Becker of Beaufort, Alexandria Beebe of Clover and Kirsten Stewart of Spartanburg, mass communication and theatre; Jesse Garbowski of Lawrenceville, Ga., Courtney Kesler of Ninety Six and Wesley Leonard of Clinton, history; Margaret Nottingham of Indianapolis, Ind., English; and Jessica Tenney of Williamston, music education.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS---Gary Bertoldo of Queensland, Australia, Donald Durden of Elberton, Ga., Per Enell of Stockholm, Sweden, Steven Graves and Summer Sprouse of Greenwood, James Guffey of Anderson, Bryan Jones of Spartanburg, Juan Manrique of Bogota, Colombia, Carlos Marques of Brazil, Joshua Rutanhira of Zimbabwe, Joseph Tebaldi of Seaford, N.Y., and Ville Toivanen of Finland, all business administration majors; and Ty Grogan of Greenwood, political science.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION---Beth Bell and Chancy Mundy of Greenwood, elementary education; Tiffany Moore of Greenwood and Sheilah Cason of Hodges, special education; Amanda Jefferson of Anderson and Kaylan Norris of Calhoun Falls, elementary education; Ashley Brezeale of Easley, Ashley Kaney of Langley and Brittney Powell of Gray Court, early childhood education; and Kara Murrell of Pickens, exercise science.

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS---Adam Campbell of Easley, Carmen Edwards of Greenwood, Lauren B. Johnson of Gilbert and Paige Kight of Florence, nursing; Joseph Bridgman of Honea Path and Juli McGaha of Abbeville, chemistry; Thomas Bidwell of Honea Path, biology; Carrie Forrest of Pauline and Samantha Seawright of Donalds, mathematics-secondary education.

The induction ceremony ended with a group recitation of the Alpha Chi motto, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."