UC students receive several notable honors

Several University of the Cumberlands students with local ties have received various awards, and/or achieved accomplishments recently.

Departmental awards

A dozen students from Corbin and Williamsburg received awards from their respective academic departments for the 2023-2024 academic year, including:

• Madelyn Brock of Corbin – Art: Student of the Year and Bella Bender-Lipps Award.
• Jordan Richardson of Williamsburg – Biology: one of two Students of the Year.
• Shreya Patel of Corbin – Business Administration – one of two Students of the Year.
• Samuel “Blake” McCullah of Williamsburg – Chemistry: Student of the Year and P.R. Jones Chemistry Outstanding Senior Award.
• Dorian Bachlaj, Emily Leach and Hermione Xue Teng Tan, all of Williamsburg – Computer and Information Science: Students of the Year along with eight other individuals.
• Molly Evans of Williamsburg – Criminal Justice: one of two Students of the Year.
• Olivia Gammon of Williamsburg – Education-Elementary Education: one of two Students of the Year.
• Mickayla McCoig of Williamsburg – History and Political Science: one of two Students of the Year.
• Spencer Scharstein of Williamsburg – Psychology: Student of the Year.
• Kristin Mitchell of Corbin – World Languages – Outstanding Senior in Spanish: Student of the Year.

Mary Sullivan Award

Corbin’s Kristin Mitchell is also the winner of the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award, which honors a female student from the senior class who has made significant contributions to university life while demonstrating outstanding spiritual values.

She is the daughter of Seth and Christy Mitchell. Mitchell is graduating with a major in English: creative writing and minors in Spanish and missions and ministry.

Mitchell has been involved in campus ministries since her freshman year at UC. She has maintained a leadership position in Appalachian Ministries, training volunteers, creating lessons, and educating children. She also established a Bible study with other young women on campus. Mitchell has always been very active in her home church in Corbin as a church choir member and serving the community in many ways, such as providing local children and the elderly with Christmas gifts.

Mitchell has been involved in UC activities, such as chorale and study abroad trips to Europe, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

Her future plans include completing a Master of Fine Arts graduate program, being a published writer of fiction, and eventually becoming an English professor. She wants to continue traveling as much as possible and will serve her church and Christ in every way she can.

U.S. Army commission

Cumberlands recently hosted a pinning and commissioning ceremony in the Kohn Theater on campus for four Army ROTC cadets, who are now second lieutenants (2 LT), including: Zachary Carlsen, Chamira Cooper, Rylan Reed, and Williamsburg’s Alex Ritchie,

The commissioning ceremony is an honored tradition held annually on college campuses across the nation to signify cadets’ completion of both their college degree requirements, as well as the Army’s ROTC requirements.

During the ceremony, cadets recited the Oath of Office, then stood as gold bars were pinned onto their uniforms, denoting their new ranks as second lieutenants. Finally, they received their first salutes. These UC graduates are now official members of the U.S. Army Officer Corps.

Second lieutenant Carlsen will join active duty – armor branch, 2 LT Cooper will join the Kentucky Army National Guard as a member of the Quartermaster Corps, and both 2 LT Reed and 2 LT Ritchie will join active duty – infantry.

Colonel (retired) Steven Sears was the keynote speaker at the commissioning ceremony. Col. Sears graduated from University of the Cumberlands (then Cumberland College) in 1990 with a biology degree. He retired from the Army after serving more than 26 years as a field artillery officer.

Col. Sears told the new officers, “You have been given much to prepare you for this moment, but now much more will be demanded of you.”