Sunshine Noel
Staff Writer
With the school year slowly coming to an end, Jackson State University acknowledged students who have performed diligently in the classroom and represented academic success.
Family, staff, faculty and students all gathered in the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium to celebrate the array of academic achievements. The honorees included students who made Fall 2018 President’s List, Dean’s List, all Honor Society Inductees, Breakfast of Champions, and All-SWAC members.
Gabrielle Baker, Miss Jackson State University 2018-2019, expressed how she felt about being a part of the convocation.
“Honors Convocation lets me know that Jackson State will forever produce greatness and that I stand amongst the best of THEE best,” said Baker.
After words of encouragement by Baker, Student Government Association President La’Curtis Powell, and laughs and smiles from President William B. Bynum, each group of scholars were called out for a round of applause and awarded with an honors medal at the end of the ceremony.
Christa Nicosia, a junior graphic design from Chicago, Ill., was excited about her award.
“College is expensive and not easy at all. We all face different trials and tribulations, and I know I surely have during this school year. However, to be able to say that I still did well, and that I maintained a GPA above a 3.0 makes me proud. There’s nothing I want more than to be successful. I thank Jackson State for giving me the opportunity to do that,” said Nicosia.
Laura Pitts, a senior music major from Jackson, Miss., was also one of the many people who were recognized. With graduation approaching in May, Pitts is departing with a 4.0 GPA that she’s maintained during her journey at JSU.
“I’ve always been a perfectionist and I’ve never liked to do any less than I know I could be,” said Pitts. “That led to me always making sure to stay on top of myself and my studies,” said Pitts.
Pitts was not the only one to have achieved such high academic recognition. Kingsley Bimpeh, a graduating senior majoring in chemistry also maintained a 4.0 during his tenure.
Originally from Ghana, he explained how he stayed focused and what kept him going.
“I’m very excited to be starting the next phase of my life, I’ll be going back to get my master’s degree in the fall at the University of Georgia. Once you get into college, you have one purpose in mind, I made sure to hold on to my purpose, and I think everyone should,” said Bimpeh.
He added, “Like President Bynum said, we are excellence, so I make sure to strive to be that. My biggest motivation is that goal I had in mind, and I didn’t care about how much effort I had to put in to achieve that goal. I didn’t mind working for it.”
Asia Thompson, a freshman civil engineering major from Chicago, Ill., expressed how proud her family was of her.
“This is my first time being away from home, and it hasn’t been easy. I’ve lost family members since I’ve been down in Jackson. I’ve been sad, sometimes even unmotivated; yet, the support I’ve gotten from different teachers, staff and friends is the reason I was able to still come out on top,” said Thompson.
She continued, “There are people here that have faith in me even when I don’t have it in myself, and for that I’m super grateful to be a Jackson State Tiger. My mom is super proud of me. I’m proud of myself most though.”
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