Jessica Hicks (left) of Camden received the R. E. Lee Wilson Award and the Distinguished Service Award at the annual Student Honors Awards Ceremony.  Other recipients of the Distinguished Service Award were (from left) Samantha Mitchell of Pocahontas, Amanda Payne of Cabot, Tabitha Christian of Huntsville, Mark Wiggins of Jonesboro, and (not pictured) Tiffany Frazier of Pine Bluff.

Wilson Award, Distinguished Service Awards presented at Honors ceremony

April 9, 2007 -- Jessica Hicks of Camden, a senior at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, was named on Monday, April 9, the recipient of the R.E. Lee Wilson Award for 2006-2007 at the 74th annual Student Honors Awards Ceremony in the Student Union Auditorium.

The Wilson Award, ASU’s most prestigious student award, is presented annually to the most outstanding recent graduate or graduating senior.  Selection from among the nominees is based upon character, determination, involvement and academic achievement.

Hicks will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a leadership minor from the College of Business.  She has served on the Student Activities Board,  participated in Alpha Gamma Delta fraternity, and has served as Greek Life Editor of the ASU Indian Yearbook for three years.  She also played a key role in numerous student organizations, excelling in every aspect of her college career.

The Wilson Award is presented at the annual Student Honors Ceremony during Convocation of Scholars, and is the highlight of the annual event.  The award is named in honor of R.E. Lee Wilson, a member of the institution’s Board of Trustees from 1917 to 1933.

Jessica Hicks (left) accepts the R. E. Lee Wilson Award from Diana Wilson Gray, great-granddaughter of the man for whom the award is named.

Wilson was dedicated to ASU’s development in the early days, and his family has presented the award each year.  Diana Gray of Salem, the great-granddaughter of R. E. Lee Wilson, presented this year’s award, the 121^th since the first award was given in 1934. Ms. Gray previously served on the ASU Foundation Board and is also an alumna of ASU.

Gray read quotes from the letters of nomination while introducing Hicks as the Wilson Award winner.  Writers described her by stating, “She is an exemplary leader, a very committed and self-motivated apprentice, and a young woman of the highest moral standards…who always strives to lead an honorable life. She is a person of strong character who has excelled academically while balancing extracurricular leadership positions, involvement in student organizations, and community service projects…She has made lasting connections with faculty, staff, and her peers. She is an excellent representative of this university.”

Hicks also was named one of six recipients of the Distinguished Service Award.

Other DSA winners were Tabitha Christian, Tiffany Frazier, Samantha Mitchell, Amanda Payne, and Lewis Mark Wiggins.

ASU Chancellor Dr. Robert L. Potts presented the DSA awards, which are based on scholarship, contributions to student life, and involvement in university activities.

All of the Distinguished Service Award winners have numerous achievements in leadership roles, campus activities and academics.  Here are some highlights about each award recipient:

Jessica Hicks of Camden
Hicks will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a leadership minor. Hicks has served as public relations director of the Student Activities Board and in numerous positions within Alpha Gamma Delta fraternity. She has been Greek Life Editor of the ASU Indian Yearbook for three years, working 10-15 hours per week in the yearbook office. She served as president of the Future Alumni Network in 2005 and has been a member of that organization for four years. Jessica has also served as an ASU Tribal Leader and was selected to ASU’s Homecoming Court. A member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society, she maintained the ASU Academic Distinction Scholarship for four years, and was named to the Dean’s List, the President’s List, Who’s Who Among College Students, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

Jessica Hicks is the daughter of Joe and Diane Hicks of Camden.  Her advisor is Dr. John Robertson.

Tabitha Christian of Huntsville

Christian will graduate at the May 2007 Commencement after completing a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in advertising. She was the recipient of a four-year athletic scholarship at ASU and was a USAA Collegiate All-American Scholar, winner of the NCAA Commissioner’s Award and an NCAA Honors Student. She was named to the Dean’s List for seven consecutive semesters and the Athletic Director Honor Roll for four years. She was also selected for an account executive internship at Saatchi and SaatchiX. Christian has served as president and vice president of the ASU Advertising Federation, president of the ASU Undergraduate Student Research Association, and vice president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. She was a Lady Indian center/forward and team co-captain, a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and a member of Kappa Tau Alpha, a national journalism honor society.

Tabitha Christian is the daughter of  Thomas and Alison Christian of Fayetteville and Glenda and Steven Davis of Wesley.  Her advisor is Dr. Joel T. Gambill.

Tiffany Frazier of Pine Bluff
Frazier will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in biology. She currently serves as outgoing president of the Student Government Association, and she served as SGA vice president last year. She is also outgoing president of the NAACP Student Chapter. A McNair Scholar in 2004-2006, she conducted research under the mentorship of Dr. Jeannette Loutsch and Dr. David Gilmore. The former public relations director of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Tiffany was chosen as National Panhellenic Woman of the Year for 2006. She was ASU’s 2005 Homecoming Queen. She was a Strong-Turner Alumni Chapter inductee, a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, and a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Tiffany has served on the Student Activities Board for two years, as a Presidential Ambassador for two years, as an ASU Tribal Leader, and as a Resident Assistant, mentoring and advising approximately 40 students.

Tiffany Frazier is the daughter of Dassie Frazier of Pine Bluff and the late Boyd Frazier. Her advisor is Dr. Jeannette Loutsch.

Samantha Mitchell of Pocahontas

Mitchell will graduate with a bachelor’s of arts degree in radio/television broadcast journalism this May. She is the outgoing station manager of ASU-TV, the student-run cable channel. A former producer at ASU-TV, she developed several programs, among them, ASU Livin’ and ASU Trivia Challenge, an original game show filmed live before a studio audience. Mitchell is the recipient of the Walter Cronkite National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Emmy Award scholarship for 2006-2007, the Arkansas Farm Bureau Marvin Vines Scholarship, the Robert L. Hoskins Memorial Scholarship, the J.D. Rogers Memorial Scholarship, and the Ted Rand Memorial Scholarship, awarded by the Arkansas Broadcasters Association and ASU. Samantha’s awards and honors include membership in Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society, Kappa Tau Alpha, the national journalism honor society, Pi Gamma Mu, a political science honor society, Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.              

Samantha Mitchell is the daughter of Danny and Stella Mitchell of Pocahontas, and her advisor is Dr. Mary Jackson-Pitts.

Amanda Kay Payne of Cabot

Amanda Kay Payne will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nursing this May. She has been active in the Student Government Association, the Tribal Leadership Staff, and the Student Activities Board, where she served as president, vice president, and public relations director. She served on the National Panhellenic Council as executive board treasurer, she was a Global Student Leader and representative for ASU in China, and she is a member of Chi Omega fraternity. Amanda is also a member of the National Student Nurses Association, the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee, the Student Union Advisory Committee, and Alpha Sigma Lambda, a national leadership and honors organization. She was a 2003 recipient of ASU’s President’s Scholarship, was named to the Dean’s List, and was included in Who’s Who Among America’s Colleges and Universities. She has been a five-year volunteer with the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a three-year volunteer with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and a two-year volunteer with the Pediatric Day Clinic.

Amanda Kay Payne is the daughter of Kevin and Linda Payne of Cabot, and her advisor is Julie Isaacson.

Lewis Mark Wiggins of Jonesboro

Mark Wiggins of Jonesboro will graduate with a degree in biology and Spanish, magna cum laude, this May. Mark was awarded and maintained the Academic Distinction Scholarship for four years.  Mark was named to the President’s List for four semesters, and the Dean’s List. Mark studied abroad in London at Queen Mary, University of London and at El Centro Panamerico de Idiomas in San Joaquin de Flores, Costa Rica. He is the recipient of the United States Air Force Health Professions Scholarship, which will cover his medical school expenses. He has been accepted into the 2007 Freshman Class at the University of Arkansas School for Medical Sciences. He has served as an ASU Presidential Ambassador and was a member of ASU’s 2005 Homecoming Court. He was chosen as a Study Abroad consultant and as an Infrastructure Representative for the Department of Languages. He is also the outgoing president of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry, where he oversaw and coordinated a leadership team of 30 students. He was also inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society.

Mark Wiggins is the son of Wayne and Nonie Wiggins of Jonesboro. His advisors are Dr. Ronald Johnson and Dr. Robert Baum.