Lander Honors College Holds Annual Awards Ceremony

Lander University’s Honors College graduates are preparing to head from graduation into the workforce or graduate school. Before they walk across the stage at commencement, they were honored for excelling during their time at Lander during the annual Honors College Awards Ceremony. Their plans are taking them into hospitals, veterinarian’s offices, law enforcement agencies and graduate schools around the state and across the country.

Jakiara Edwards is headed after graduation to Prisma Health Richland to work on a cardiac telemetry floor. A nursing major from Columbia, Edwards received academic honors each semester and joined the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society. She recently presented her research on milieu therapy at the S.C. Academy of Science annual meeting. Edwards was also a LINK peer leader and presented at the 44th Annual Conference on the First Year Experience in New Orleans. She was treasurer of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, contributed to service projects for under-resourced elementary students and the March of Dimes, and represented Lander at Higher Education Day in Columbia. Edwards also completed a MedEx Nurse Externship at Prisma Health.

Also going into healthcare is Katherine Blain, an exercise science major from Charlotte, with minors in psychology and sports medicine and rehabilitation. Blain served as captain of Lander’s women’s soccer team, a Student Success Center academic coach and tutor, and president of the Lander Catholic Association. She interned at both Project Hope Foundation and Optimum Life Center in occupational therapy, and coached girls’ soccer at the Greenwood Toros soccer club. Blain conducted two independent research projects and twice presented at the Southeast American College of Sports Medicine conference and at the Lander Academic Symposium. Blain consistently received academic honors and was selected for Peach Belt’s Team of Academic Distinction. She plans to seek a doctorate in occupational therapy.

Headed to graduate school, too, is Elias Carls, a public history and public administration double major from Summerville. Carls spent a semester studying abroad at University of Stirling in Scotland. At Lander, he serves as a Presidential Ambassador, and as president of the History Club, Phi Alpha Theta history honors society and the Political Science Association. Off campus, Carls works at the The Museum in Greenwood and volunteers as a living historian at Ninety Six Historical Site. He was a poll manager for the 2024 election and presented research at both the South Carolina Historical Association and the Georgia Association of Historians. Carls joined the Experiencing History Lab with Dr. Franklin Rausch, worked as a research assistant for Dr. Ryan Floyd, and has received several awards for his academic excellence and student leadership. He plans to attend graduate school for political science.

Honors Medalists

The following students received the Honors Medal and Honors Pin to add to their graduation regalia as part of the awards ceremony:

• Lilly Atkins, a biology major from Summerville
• Bethany Bagwell, a biology (genetics) major from Pelzer
• Willow Beshers, a psychology major from Greenwood
• Katherine Blain, an exercise science major from Charlotte
• Lucy Bova, a chemistry (health science) major from Charleston
• Alyssa Bowen, an art (3-D visual art) major from Belton
• Danielle Caley Brooks, a nursing major from Seneca
• Alyssa Campbell, an English (professional writing) major from North Augusta
• Elias Carls, a public history and public administration double major from Summerville
• Sheridan Carpenter, a media and communication major from Ridge Spring
• Rose Castillo, a criminology major from Beaufort
• Samantha Cedilote, a hospitality management major from Florence
• Emma Cox, a psychology major from Greer
• Jakiara Edwards, a nursing major from Columbia
• Keegan Finnerty, a biology and environmental science double major from Rock Hill
• Emily Galloway, a business administration major from Clinton
• Abigail Glover, a special education major from Westminster
• Brett Gregory, a management and marketing and political science double major from Manchester, New Hampshire
• Shayla Harris, a nursing major from Columbia
• Rida Rahim Hirani, a medical biology major from Greenwood
• Barlow Hoffman, a graphic design major from Myrtle Beach
• Ashlyn Kinard, a medical biology major from Prosperity
• Danielle Langley, a biology major from Lexington
• Allen Laymon, an accounting major from Greenwood
• Autumn Lockhart, an early childhood and Spanish double major from Chesnee
• Hannah Lovett, an English (professional writing) major from Nichols
• Reegan Magee, an interdisciplinary studies (data technology for environmental science) major from Charleston
• Harlin Jane Mason, a management and marketing major from Greenwood
• Autumn McDonald, an English (professional writing) major from Anderson
• Auron Moore, an accounting major from Nichols
• Taylor Neal, a psychology major from Lancaster
• Palak Patel, a healthcare management major from Lexington
• Santo Pellettiere, an accounting major from Lexington
• Rhianna Philcox, a public health and Spanish double major from Greenwood
• Alejandra Rubio, a nursing major from West Columbia
• Leah Ruiz, a psychology major from Prosperity
• Kimberly Sipanela, a medical biology and biology double major from Harare, Zimbabwe
• Tyler Weiss, a biology and environmental science double major from Fort Mill

Honors Pin Recipients

The following students received an Honors Pin to add to their graduation regalia:

• Olivia Abrams, a psychology major from Prosperity
• Milo Bonig, a criminology major from Elgin
• Riley Crawford, a public health major from Greenwood
• Laila Gore, a sociology and human services double major from York
• Lanie Lawson, a psychology and human services double major from Inman
• Alexis Pittelkau, an exercise science major from Elgin
• Zoe Starr, a psychology major from Columbia
• Reese Williams, a mathematics major from Red Bank

The following students are due to graduate in December, and received their Honors Pin, and are eligible for the Honors Medal next semester:

• Ambrosia Delph, a psychology major from Anderson
• Elizabeth Ledbetter, a management and marketing major from Easley
• Kameron Morgan, a mathematics (dual engineering) major from Columbia

>> Full Photo Gallery

Honors College Awards by University Marketing & Communications