Senior honor students recognized at Tusculum College

Four Tusculum College students were recognized for their successful completion of the Honors Program requirements at a year-end celebration banquet in April.

Honors graduates this year were Billie Jennings of Mountain City, Alisha Jones of Murfreesboro, Kate Barford of Alpharetta, Ga., and Elizabeth Wright from Powell. Jennings was also honored at the 2013 Honors Olympian.

Also, recognized was the “Honors Olympian,” the Honors student who best exemplifies the ideals of Tusculum College through academia success, civic engagement and service to the community.

All the students in the program were congratulated by Dr. Nancy B. Moody, president of the college.

“I encourage you to continue along this path, and I have confidence there are more great things in your future,” she said. “For those of you who are joining us as freshmen, welcome to the program. I recommend you take advantage of your faculty mentors as well as the upperclassmen who have much advice to dispense.”

Jennings, who is majoring in creative writing, is a student editor of the Tusculum Review, the campus literary journal. She has been active in the theater program, appearing in leading roles in several plays on campus. She has been accepted into the Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Tennessee.

Jones, a pre-med major, has applied to a number of medical school programs for post-graduation. She has participated in Tusculum’s theater productions, as well as served in several organizations on campus.

Barford is a psychology major with a minor in biology. She is a member of the Psi Chi psychology honor society, tutors other students in psychology, is a certified nursing assistant and has presented as first author at a national psychology conference.

Wright is majoring in mathematics with a concentration in computer science. She has presented at the Blue Ridge Undergraduate Research Conference. She is one of the charter members of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority on campus.

The Tusculum College Honors Program is designed to offer challenging and engaging educational experiences to talented students committed to academic excellence. The program offers distinctive courses including honors versions of general education courses, selected departmental courses with honors options and semester-long seminars with talented faculty and gifted peers.

According to Dr. Tom Harlow, director of the Honors Program and assistant professor of psychology, participants in the Honors Program focus on more than rigorous academics.

“Members of the Honors Program are expected to become leaders in their community, raising the level of intellectual debate and civic engagement,” he said.

The students were recognized in front of fellow Honors Program students, faculty, family and friends at a dinner held on the Greeneville campus on April 1. They were presented with their graduation sashes and congratulated by their mentoring professors in their major.

The Tusculum College Honors Program currently has 20 student members. For more information on the program, contact Harlow at 423-636-7300.