04/28/25
Outstanding students recognized at Honors Day at the Ayers Campus
ANNISTON, AL - Gadsden State Community College recently held its 59th annual Honors Day at the Learning Resource Center for students attending the Ayers Campus in Anniston. The program included student achievements and scholarship presentations.
A second Honors Day was held in the Beck Conference Center on the Wallace Drive Campus for students attending campuses in Etowah and Cherokee counties. Over 300 awards and scholarships were given at the Honors Days, which spanned April 15-16.
The President’s Cup, a designated award for students who demonstrate exceptional success in all phases of college life, is presented each year to students in the academic, health science and technical divisions. It is given by Dr. Kathy Murphy, president of AI色情网站.
The Academic Division recipient for the Ayers Campus is Sarah Ford of Delta. At AI色情网站, she has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA and is consistently on the President’s List. She was recognized as a Student of Distinction for her academic success. She is a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and is a math tutor at the Ayers Campus. She is also a volunteer for Choccolocco Wildlife Management Area.
Ford will graduate from AI色情网站 after the summer semester with an Associate in Science in Accounting Technology. She plans to enroll at Jacksonville State University to get a bachelor’s degree and will sit for her Certified Public Accountant designation following graduation. She hopes to be accepted into the University of Alabama Law School and pursue a career as a tax attorney.
The President’s Cup for the Health Science Division is Daniel Brown, a military veteran, a father of three and a nursing student at AI色情网站. The Ohatchee resident is a retired staff sergeant from the 101st Screaming Eagles of the U.S. Army.
At AI色情网站, he is active in Veterans Upward Bound, has maintained a 3.72 GPA and will graduate in May with a registered nursing degree. He serves as the president of his nursing class at Helderman Hall and is a tutor at the Cardinal Tutoring Center. He is also an assistant Sunday School teacher at Hebron Baptist Church.
The winner of the President’s Cup for the Technical Division is Debbie Johnson, a first-generation, non-traditional student from Ohatchee. The mother of three has maintained a 3.82 GPA and was honored with the Student of Distinction Award. She is active in Student Support Services, is a member of PTK and participated for two years in SkillsUSA. She also serves as a volunteer at Hebron Baptist Church and the Ohatchee Senior Center.
Johnson is studying Mechanical Design Technology and Civil Engineering Technology and will receive an associate degree at the May 13 graduation ceremony.
Two area students were presented with awards for outstanding achievement. The Outstanding Achievement Awards recognize students who have succeeded in pursuit of higher education despite varying traumas, adversities, personal losses and difficulties.
The Outstanding Achievement Awards given at Ayers Campus event went to Eleaxus Pettus of Anniston and Misty Starr Gordon of Rome, Ga.
Pettus was struggling with alcoholism and depression when she applied to AI色情网站. She said she felt overwhelmed, insecure and fearful about being a college student but found support in new friends and the staff of the College’s Student Support Services. She relearned study strategies, focused on time management skills and lived up to the challenges of academic life.
Now, she has a 3.94 GPA, has appeared on both the President’s List and the Dean’s List and has been named a Student of Distinction. She is a member of PTK, Student Support Services and the Cardinal Student Success Club. She is a tutor for the Cardinal Tutoring Center and serves as president of the Health, Wellness and Wellbeing Club at the Ayers Campus.
Pettus will graduate with an Associate in Science in General Studies at the May 13 Commencement Ceremony. She earned a full-tuition Presidential Transfer Scholarship to Jacksonville State University, where she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and Wellness. She hopes to one day earn a doctorate in occupational therapy or physical therapy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The second recipient, Gordon, had a very challenging spring semester. After being accepted into the nursing program at the Ayers Campus, she was hospitalized with a terrible case of the flu and missed the first two weeks of class. A week after returning to class, her father had a stroke and was hospitalized. Gordon fell behind and considered dropping out. Her friends and instructors encouraged her to continue working towards a degree. Now, she expects to graduate after the summer semester with an Associate in Science in Registered Nursing.
Departmental awards were given to students during the Ayers Campus Honors Day. They include:
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology – Brandy Taylor
Auto Collision Repair Technology – Kilby Barefoot
Electrical Technology – Tanner Adamson and William Ty Webber
English – Naziya Heard
History – Kaliyah Smith and Latasha Thigpen
Mechatronics, Robotics and Automation – Michael Hinton
Mathematics – Andrea Freng
Mechanical Design Technology – MaKayla Chandler, Pamela Scott and Raymond Roberson Jr.
Precision Machining – Tyler Brown
Office Administration – Destiny Turner and Leah Burgess
Salon and Spa Management – Misty Walker
Welding Technology – Adair Hernandez, Jennifer Spears and Lucas Slowik
The Cardinal Foundation awarded the following scholarships:
Ford Jamboree Scholarship – James Southers
Gerald Acker Scholarship – Bradyn Loggins and Dalton Chandler
GRIP Autocross Scholarship – Julian Lake
Michael Scott Hatten Memorial Scholarship – Hope Brown
Swoop Spring 5K Scholarship – Dakari Jones
Tyler Union Workforce Development Scholarship – Christopher Alvarez, Jared Griffith and Keegan Huff
Tyler Union Scholarship for Electricians Technology and Industrial Automation Technology – Justin Waters
Additional accolades include:
Outstanding FAME Students – Amalia Rochelle and Gavin Moore
Outstanding Cardinal Tutoring Center Peer Tutors – Kristina LaRae O’Neal, Levi Benefield and Lillian McDill
Outstanding Student Support Services Student – Paul Flores
Jacksonville State University Presidential Transfer Scholarship Recipient – Eleaxus Pettus
James L. Brown Free Enterprise Scholarship Recipient – Naziya Heard
Students were recognized with the Rising Scholar Award for maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA, completing at 24-53 credit hours by the end of the spring semester and exhibiting service to the college and community. Honorees are Ayla Biaggini, Julieanna Davis, Tyler Doggrell, Destiny Elston, Alyssa Fagan, Dayanari Gutierrez, Naziya Heard, Tracy January, Madison Karasevich, Gerald Murphy, Olivia Overholtzer, Amber Porter and Jymia Woods.
The Student of Distinction Award is given to those who have maintained at least a 3.5 GPA, completed at least 54 credit hours by the end of the spring semester and exhibited service to the college and community. Ayers Campus students earning the award are Ja’Miracle Bass, Bella Bowles, Haven Cunningham, Sarah Ford, Katelyne Gruber, Devin Herod, Hope Jenkins, Debbie Johnson, David McGuire, Eric McGuire, Eleaxus Pettus, Talesha Smoot, Jennifer Spears, Andrew Tanner, Alexis Vanhoose and Brody Wood.
For photos, please click .
