University of the Ozarks administrators and faculty presented the University’s top academic and division awards for the 2024-25 academic year during the 69th annual Honors Day ceremony, held Wednesday afternoon in the Walton Fine Arts Center.
Raegan Swafford was named the recipient of the 2025 Wiley Lin Hurie Memorial Award, presented to the outstanding senior in the graduating class as voted on by the faculty. The Hurie Award is named in honor of the long-time president of the University and is the highest honor given to an Ozarks student. Swafford, an English and psychology major from Van Buren, Ark., was also named the Outstanding Student in English.
The award winners in the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts included, Outstanding Student in Art – Mirian Miralda; the Amanda Alders Pike Art Award – Génesis Cruz Baltodano, Alexandra Melgar, Taichi Hara, and Mirian Miralda; Outstanding Student in English – Raegan Swafford; Outstanding Student in History – Erika Jones; Outstanding Student in Music – Duban Figueroa; Outstanding Student in Religion – Fernanda Aguilar; and Outstanding Student in Theatre – Apryl Miller.
The awards in the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics included, Outstanding Student in Biology – Ismael Delgado; Outstanding Student in Health Science – Mackenzie Lucio; Outstanding Student in Psychology – Alexia Olmos; Outstanding Student in Mathematics – Houde Myard Cezar; Outstanding Student in Chemistry – Yenifer Cancax Machan; and Outstanding Student in Environmental Studies – Marifer Morelia Mendoza.
The awards in the Division of Social Sciences included, Outstanding Student in Accounting – Asa Mawoko; Outstanding Student in Business Administration – Alejandro Aramis Gutierrez Quintero; Outstanding Student in Finance – Meri Meri Emongo; Outstanding Student in Marketing – Crystal Martinez; Outstanding Student in Political Science – Arely Saucedo Castaneda; Outstanding Student Communication Studies – Marie Chloe Vieux; Robert Berry Fulton Award in Communication – Marie Chloe Vieux; The Doug and Patricia Laughter Student Award – Jalissa Hollingsworth and Phoenix Mertin; Outstanding Student in Elementary Education – Annie Nelligan; Outstanding Student in Secondary Education –Tanner Russell; and Outstanding Student in Sociology – Zaria Brown.
The University also announced the winners of the annual A.R.C.H. competition during the ceremony. In the category of Poster Presentations, Jacques-Alexandre Njeanwobe took first, Jaida Johnson was second and Madeline Mertin was third. In the category of Multimedia Storytelling/Performance, Carol Samaniego won first place, Jorge Rodrigo Mendoza Cienfuegos was second and Duban Figueroa was third. In the category of Oral Presentations, Annie Nelligan was first, Cristhel Mejia was second and Fernanda Aguilar was third. In the category of Visual Arts Display, Mirian Miralda took first, Ismael Delgado was second and Alexandra Melgar was third.
In addition, the University announced softball player Mackenzie Lucio as Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and wrestler Gabriel Sheikh as Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The University also recognized its newest members of the Pat Walker Teacher Education program for the Spring 2025 Semester. Those included Clare Armstrong, Emily Fowler, Tanner Russell, John Tyler Young, Drue Lindsey, Hailie Pledger, Kaylyn Chilton, Darcy Taylor, Annie Nelligan, Rebekah Guess, Yadira Rodriguez, Phillip Drilling and Kya Schmidt.
Topics: Academics