Close to fifty students and soon to be graduates were lauded in an Awards Ceremony
held in the Dempsey Student Center’s Heins Gym that took place on April 16, led by
Sandhills Community College Provost Dr. Rebecca Roush.
Faculty and staff offered individual awards from various departments with funding
coming directly from faculty and staff in some cases. Each representative shared comments
about the selected student in each category.
Laura Hill, professor of psychology at Sandhills presented the Casilear Middleton
Memorial Award selected by the Social and Behavioral Science department to Felix Naab.
This award was established to recognize a student who excels academically and who
also has a strong orientation toward service and helping others.
“Felix will graduate from Sandhills in a few weeks with his associate in arts and
plans to attend UNC at Chapel Hill in the fall to study either neuropsychology or
another field in psychology,” said Hill. “While a 4.0 student he has also participated
in several student organizations and honor activities such as the SGA, C-Step, and
Phi Theta Kappa as well as served as a Mental Health ambassador. Additionally, he
is the founder of SCC’s Pre-Health Club, which is designed to provide a forum for
students who are interested in studies directed toward science and healthcare. His
orientation toward service extends beyond our campus community where he has volunteered
at St Joseph of the Pines assisting the residents in a variety of ways.”
Other Awards and awardees included:
AVIATION
Aviation Award — John G. Talk
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Gordon & Dorothy Hill Memorial Award — Amanda Springer
Critchley Memorial Award — Evanthia Young
HEALTH SCIENCES
Medical Laboratory Technology (1st Year) — Anna Blount
Medical Laboratory Technology (Graduating Student) — Noah Thornton
Health & Fitness Science Faculty Award— Sydney Garner
Outstanding Dedication/Going the Extra Mile Award — Rusty Collins
MANAGEMENT & BUSINESS
Lt. Colonel John W. Collins Office Systems Technology Award — Elizabeth A. Parker
Lt. Colonel John W. Collins Office Systems Technology Award — Amber M. Roll
Stanley J. Bradshaw Business Excellence Award — Hector Mejia Cruz
Betty Kay Ray Entrepreneurship Award—Ethan Fury
Betty Kay Ray—Mary Lea Dixon
Entrepreneurship Award—Crystal Talbert
Betty Kay Ray—Mary Lea Dixon
Entrepreneurship Award—Zachery Elliott
Business Faculty Award—Marcus Piekarski
ENGLISH & HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT
C.A.L.M.S. Humanities Award — Ava McAdams
Communication Faculty Award — Zelma Mashburn
John and Grace Hoad Award — Ethan Owens
John R. Hatcher Foreign Language Award — Leah Covington
L. Henry Pierre Delarue Award — Quinn Augustine
Thomas Andrew Coffey Spanish Award — Xavier Reid
MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT
Mathematics Award — Estelle Morgan
Mathematics Improvement Award — Derick M. Williams
FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT
Frances Price Wilson Excellence in Music Award — Justin Francis
Jane Wellard Music Award — Justin Francis
Patricia Robinson Memorial Art Award—Annabell Nichols
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
Anatomy & Physiology Award (1 Semester) Award — Douglas Deaton
Anatomy & Physiology Award (2 Semesters) Award — Elizabeth Durtschi Avery Dennis General
Chemistry Award — Daniel Heath
Avery Dennis General Chemistry Award — Marcus Nied
General Biology Award — Milo Gast
General Biology Award — Jack Ketlekamp
General Biology Award—Sydney Veeneman
General Physics Award — Carson Smith College
Physics Award — Angelo Gamble
SOCIAL & BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT
Casilear Middleton Memorial Award — Felix Naab
Social & Behavioral Science B-Squared Award — Emma Morgan
BEN PATE CONTINUING EDUCATION MEMORIAL EMS AWARD — Danielle Kelly
VETERANS HIGH PERFORMER’S AWARD — Thomas “Zack” Lemonds
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION AWARD — Chaniya Bratcher
ROSE K. ANDERSON— Kempton Smythe
SCC WORK STUDY STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD — Rusty Collins
ZIHAL SUPER STUDENT TUTOR AWARD — Eliza Lykins
MASON ALLEN WAGNER MEMORIAL AWARD — Richard Berry
GILBERT MORLAND MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP — Katelyn Thompson
R.P. BEASLEY AWARD — Rusty Collins
THE JOHN DEMPSEY PRESIDENTIAL AWARD
Awarded to a Workforce Continuing Education or curriculum student enrolled in any
program of study within the current academic year. Student exhibit qualities of SCC
Spirit, Leadership, and Community Involvement; Student recipient should also be a
person whose life and career are most likely to benefit the citizens of Moore and
Hoke county. Awardee: Nicholas Tyler Watts
THE H. CLIFTON BLUE AWARD FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
The Student Excellence Award winner that Sandhills Community College submits to the
North Carolina Community College System annually is also honored with the college’s
H. Clifton Blue Award for Academic Excellence, providing a monetary award for the
student in addition to state recognition. Awardee: Krittinee Dangsanan
Additional award events will be held in Computer, Culinary & Pastry Arts, Engineering
& Construction Technologies, Health Sciences, Nursing, and Transportation. All other
awards will be presented during commencement at 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday,
May 17, 2025, on the Pinehurst campus on the lawn of the Boyd Library.