Every year as part of commencement, three awards are presented to exceptional students in the graduating class. Congratulations to this year's honorees! Syeda Bano '20, a Politics and Sociology double major, and Erin Raquel Battaglia '20, a Psychology major, received the esteemed James Edward Oglethorpe Awards. This award is presented annually to two individuals in the graduating class who, in the opinion of the faculty, have excelled in scholarship, leadership, and character. Mathematics major Zoe Nelson '20 earned the 2020 Sally Hull Weltner Award for Scholarship, which recognizes the student in the graduating class who has attained the highest grade-point average with the greatest number of hours in course work completed at the university. This award is given annually in loving memory of Sally Hull Weltner, wife of Dr. Philip Weltner, who was president of Oglethorpe University from 1944-1953.

The Southeastern Pastel Society has awarded scholarships to two aspiring Oglethorpe art students. Art History majors Hayleigh Stonham '22 and Julia Preston '22 were selected by the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art (OUMA) to receive the awards. Both budding museum professionals, Stonham and Preston were recommended by art faculty Alan Loehle and Jeffrey Collins. Stonham is currently interning at OUMA, and Preston is enrolled in Museum Studies classes. "I'm really grateful to have the chance to work one-on-one with my professors and especially the curators of the museum," said Preston. "The fact that the school is small enough to allow that kind of experience to be possible is really special and so educational. It definitely offers opportunities to students that they couldn't imagine beforehand and gives them the chance to experience something new, and (to) do so hands-on. I'm really excited to see what else is in store for me at Oglethorpe and in the museum." The Southeastern Pastel Society (SPS) was established in 1988 as a nonprofit dedicated to promoting pastel painting in the Southeast. With members across the U.S., SPS seeks to provide an environment in which pastel artists may flourish. The two student scholarships are an important part of their community involvement and supporting inspiring artists. Previous Oglethorpe SPS scholars include Sidney Lang '14, Ivy Kilpatrick '15, Larissa Randall '18, Rachel Farrington '18, Kim Phan '20, and Caroline Phipps '20. SPS was set to open its 19th International Juried Exhibition, featuring works selected out of hundreds submitted, on May 8 in the university's museum. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced the museum to close its doors, the exhibition will still be made available digitally. The exhibition will be juried by Debora Stewart, a Signature Member and a Master Pastellist of the Pastel Society of America and a member of the Master's Circle of the International Association of Pastel Societies. Learn more about SPS at southeasternpastel.org.

English and Comparative Literature major Lexi Covalsen '20 was recently awarded the Davies-Jackson Scholarship to pursue a second Bachelor of Arts degree in English at St. John's College at the University of Cambridge. Her studies will begin in October following her graduation from Oglethorpe in May 2020. Covalsen is one of only two students in the U.S. who were awarded the Davies-Jackson Scholarship. This award, which covers the full cost of the program, presents a unique opportunity for first-generation recent college graduates with exceptional academic records. Scholarship recipients have the opportunity to take the more advanced courses of study of a Cambridge degree course and qualify for a Cambridge B.A. in two years instead of the usual three. The degree is usually considered the equivalent of a U.S. master's degree due to its academic rigor, the international travel opportunities available, and the career preparation provided during the course of study. The Council of Independent Colleges, of which Oglethorpe is a member, assists the scholarship's U.S. Selection Committee in administering the program. Oglethorpe students are eligible via the university's CIC membership. Previously, Covalsen was the recipient of the 2018 Summer ESU Dr. Manning Pattillo, Jr. Travel Scholarship. This award covered tuition, program costs, and airfare expenses in the U.K. while Covalsen studied at Oxford University in London for two weeks. In this program, her course focused on Shakespeare studies led by Dr. Robert Hornback, professor of English. "I know I would not be where I am today without all the support I've received from Oglethorpe," said Covalsen. "I would also not have been able to achieve this opportunity to study at Cambridge without the guidance and community my professors and fellow Ogles have given me these past four years."

Oglethorpe University Chemistry major Annika (Alex) Foret '23 has won a $1,000 SAGE Scholars scholarship in a nationwide essay contest. Foret, a 2019 graduate of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, was one of only 100 scholarship recipients in the country who wrote winning essays. Students could submit essays on various topics, including "why you selected an independent, private college over a state or public college." Foret elected to write about how small universities like Oglethorpe can "prioritize individual learning over routine memorization," and "how the Core program at Oglethorpe allows me to keep studying the humanities, even as a chemistry major." "Winning this scholarship really took some of the stress off of paying for the smaller things such as books, allowing me to enjoy the last bit of my summer," said Foret. "I had actually forgotten I had even applied, so I was shocked when I got the email saying I had won. I immediately called my mom and I'm pretty sure I just screamed into the phone for the first few seconds of the call." SAGE Scholars recently pledged $1 million in college scholarships over the next five years for students attending one of over 400 private colleges and universities in the network. These scholarships are named "gap scholarships" with the goal of helping families fill in the gap between what they have to pay for their children to go to college and what colleges and universities can offer in terms of financial aid. SAGE Scholars is the nation's oldest and largest private college preparation and funding organization and has been helping families secure the best possible private college education at a discounted price for nearly a quarter of a century.

Oglethorpe University congratulates the following members of the incoming Class of 2023, who have received the James Edward Oglethorpe (JEO) Scholarship. This four-year, full-tuition award recognizes high school seniors with an outstanding record of academic achievement and great potential to contribute to the community life of Oglethorpe University.

Oglethorpe congratulates the recipients of the 2019 OU Theatre Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition award that recognizes high school seniors who demonstrate commitment and promise in the field of theatre and performance, as well as the critical ability to tie these pursuits to disciplines such as literature and history. Recipients compete during an invitation-only Scholarship Weekend, hosted on campus.

Oglethorpe University congratulates the recipients of the 2019 Civic Engagement Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition award that recognizes high school seniors who have demonstrated a deep commitment to service and leadership in their communities, as well as the promise of continued exemplary service at Oglethorpe and in Atlanta.

Congratulations to Alec Camero, of Jacksonville, FL, recipient of Oglethorpe University's A_LAB Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition award that recognizes a high school senior with an outstanding record of academic achievement and great potential to contribute to the community life of Oglethorpe University.

Oglethorpe congratulates Chole Butler, the recipient of the 2019 Hammack Scholarship for business, a four-year, full-tuition award that annually recognizes a high school senior's outstanding record of academic achievement, pursuit of entrepreneurial or business-related opportunities, and desire to major in a business field at Oglethorpe.

Oglethorpe congratulates Chetan Singalreddy, the inaugural recipient of the Hammack Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition award that recognizes high school seniors with an outstanding record of academic achievement, pursuit of entrepreneurial or business-related opportunities, and the desire to major in a business field at Oglethorpe.

Oglethorpe congratulates the recipients of the 2018 OU Theatre Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition award that recognizes high school seniors who demonstrate a commitment to performing and understanding theatre.

Oglethorpe University congratulates the 2018 recipients of the Civic Engagement Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition award that recognizes high school seniors who have demonstrated a deep commitment to service and leadership in their communities as well as the promise of continued exemplary service at Oglethorpe and in Atlanta.

Oglethorpe University congratulates the following members of the incoming Class of 2022, who have received the James Edward Oglethorpe (JEO) Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition award that recognizes high school seniors with an outstanding record of academic achievement and great potential to contribute to the community life of Oglethorpe University.

Senior economics major Paige Davis '18 has been accepted into the highly competitive American Economics Association Summer Scholarship Program. Davis is the first Oglethorpe student to apply to the fellowship program and to receive the honor.

The OU Theatre Scholarship recognizes recipients' commitment to performing and understanding the field of theatre.

Oglethorpe University's Leadership Scholarship recognizes high academic achievement and leadership in school and community.

Oglethorpe University's full-tuition Civic Engagement Scholarship recognizes a deep commitment to service and leadership in the community. Recipients compete for the honor during an invitation-only Scholarship Weekend held on campus.

The James Edward Oglethorpe (JEO) Scholarship recognizes an outstanding record of academic achievement and great potential to contribute to the community life of Oglethorpe University.