15 Students Selected to be in First Class of President's Torch Society
Author: Office of the President
Posted: Wednesday, December 17, 2014 7:17 PM
Categories:
Honors/Awards | Students
Macon, GA
Members receive a $300 book scholarship each fall and spring semester, and upon completion of two years in the Society, earn a recommendation from the president for work or graduate school.
“As we continue to move toward university status, we are excited to announce this investment in the leadership of Middle Georgia,” said Dr. Christopher Blake, President of Middle Georgia State. “Not only will these students be involved on campus, but they will learn essential leadership skills they can carry into their roles in this community beyond graduation.”
Organized through the Office of the President and comprised of one representative from each of the college’s five campuses; one representative from each of its six schools; two at-large members; and two presidential interns, the Society will assist with major institutional events, such as convocation, orientation, homecoming and graduation.
Its members, a cross-section of sophomores and juniors with a minimum 3.0 grade point average, make a two-year commitment to representing MGA both on and off campus.
The Society chooses one leadership book each year from which to draw insight. The book selected by the inaugural class for 2015 is Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek.
Over the next eight months, the members will apply the ideas in the book to projects across the college and in the community, polish their communication skills, and learn about executive decision-making. When the next class is selected in the fall, members will mentor fellow students, and adhere to Plato's adage that "Those having torches will pass them on to others."
The members of the inaugural class of the Middle Georgia State College President’s Torch Society are:
- Frederick Charles Baker from Forsyth, Ga., junior psychology major, at-Large representative
- Renalda Gwendolyn Capers from Macon,Ga.,sophomore biology major, at-Large representative
- Qadeera Naasira (Queen) Girard from Morrow,Ga.,sophomore aerospace operations major, representing the School of Aviation
- Gary Earl Hermsmeier Jr. from Griffin,Ga.,junior flight management major, representing the Eastman Campus
- Amanda Johnson, junior information technology major from Warner Robins,Ga.,representing the School of Information Technology
- Rebekah Messamore, sophomore psychology major from Auburn,Ga., representing the College of Arts and Sciences
- William Paul Mickalonis, junior accounting major from Bonaire,Ga., representing the School of Business
- Briana Russ, sophomore middle grades education major from Bonaire, Ga., representing the School of Education
- Jordan Lynn Salinas, sophomore health services administration major from Macon, Ga., representing the School of Health Sciences
- Michael Caleb Swindell, sophomore biology major from Dublin, Ga., representing the Dublin Campus
- Tara Ann Taylor, junior psychology major from Kathleen, Ga., representing the Macon Campus
- Lonel Thompson, senior accounting major from Macon, Ga., and Presidential Intern, Ex-Officio
- Calabria Turner, junior English major from Macon, Ga., and Presidential Intern, Ex-Officio
- Richard A. Wall, sophomore biology major from Bonaire, Ga., representing the Warner Robins Campus
- Brian Jason White, sophomore biology major from Cadwell, Ga., representing the Cochran Campus