Service, Leadership and Academics Honored at Student Life Awards

Quick Facts

Colleen Rice and Timothy Mention won the Mary Mildred Sullivan and Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards.

The award is given annually to students who have given great service to the university and plan to continue that great service after graduation

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Colleen Rice, Frank Ardaiolo and Tim Mention

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Thelma Williams and Tyler Polomski

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James Williamson, Aaron Fountain and Ashlea Weeks

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Music major Colleen Rice and business administration major Timothy Mention captured top honors at the 2013 Winthrop University Student Life Awards ceremony Wednesday night. Frank Ardaiolo, vice president for student life, presented the awards.

Rice took the Mary Mildred Sullivan Award, while Mention won the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. Sponsored by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation, the two awards are presented annually to students who have given great service to the university and plan to continue service after graduation.

Rice, from Antioch, Calif., will graduate this May with a Bachelor of Arts in music and political science with a social sciences minor. Since transferring to Winthrop three years ago, she has been an Orientation leader and peer mentor, and is now staff coordinator on the peer mentor leadership staff. She has participated in Alternative Spring Break and served as philanthropy chair for her Chi Omega Sorority, where she organized a Make-A-Wish Foundation fundraiser.

Mention, of Hemingway, S.C., will also graduate this May with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a health care management option. He is president of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, and has led them to award-winning status. Mention has taught leadership skills, manners and respect to high school students through his work with the Guide Right Program; volunteered for MLK Day of Service and Rolling in Rock Hill; participated in the CROP Walk and Canstruction; and many other service projects. He is also a member of S.O.A.R. and The Gentlemen’s League, as well as worked as an admissions counselor assistant.

The prestigious American Legion Awards were given to Tyler Polomski, an exercise science major from Easley, S.C., and Thelma Williams, a middle level education major from Rock Hill. The awards are presented annually to graduating students who display outstanding courage, companionship, character, service and scholarship. Polomski has put in hours of volunteer work with MDA Summer Camp, the Children’s Attention Home and more, while Williams completed mission trips to the Bahamas, New York, Charleston and Nicaragua, as well as educated the student body through the ONE campaign and Winthrop Wesley Foundation.

The James C. and Kimberly Dickens Williamson Leadership Award is a new award given to two undergraduates who demonstrate campus or community leadership. Hartsville, S.C., sophomore early childhood education major Ashlea Weeks and Columbia, S.C., junior history major Aaron Fountain won the awards. Weeks serves as staff coordinator for the 2013 Orientation Leadership Staff based on her excellent performance as an Orientation leader; Fountain is involved in the McNair Scholars Program, TRiO and Multicultural Student Council.

The Combining Service and Learning Faculty Award went to Lisa Johnson, senior associate to the dean of the Richard W. Riley College of Education and project director of NetSCOPE. Johnson was recognized for her outstanding work in preparing Winthrop’s teacher candidates to work in high poverty and rural schools.

Senior history major Matthew Abraham was recognized with the Gloria Godfrey Jones Outstanding Tutor Award for making history come alive for his fellow students. The Exemplary Service by an Individual Award was given to sophomore Grant Field, a business administration major from Sumter, S.C., for chartering the 32nd chapter of Special Olympics College.

Additional awards include:
• Newman Civic Fellows Award: Aaron Eichelberger, a junior economics major from West Columbia, S.C.
•The Multicultural Student Life Award: Katrina Harmon, a rising senior biology major from Columbia, S.C.
•The Serving Others and Reflecting (SOAR) Award:Brianna Dukes, a senior sport management major from Columbia, S.C.
•The Student Safety Award: Resident assistants from the Department of Residence Life.
• Intern of the Year: Victoria “Tori” Motteler, a senior Rock Hill business administration major who interned with Maersk Line.
• Student Organization With Exemplary Record of Service: Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
• Exemplary Single Service Project By a Group: Kappa Sigma Fraternity for its MS Bike Tour, which raised $500 for multiple sclerosis.
• Fred Angerman Quality Staff Award: RaLinda Register, executive support specialist in the Office of Student Affairs.

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