Members of Elon's Black Alumni Network welcomed members of the Class of 2011 and honored three outstanding African-American graduates at the annual African-American Commencement Reception Thursday evening. The group also announced the recipient of the Black Alumni Network Scholarship, which has been endowed by gifts made by Elon's African-American graduates since 2007.
Alumni gathered in Caroline D. McCoy Commons for a networking social and addresses from alumni Melissa Jordan ’04 and Karen Cain-Henderson ’90 before the evening’s awards program began.
Janelle S. Bennett, a rising sophomore from Yanceyville, N.C., was announced the recipient of the Black Alumni Network Scholarship for the 2011-12 academic year. Eight seniors – Shante’ Barnwell, Brittany Carroll, Eugene Daniel, Nneka Enurah, Kelia Evans, Gregory Carl Hairston Jr., Don Marshall and Tavianna Williams – were nominated for the Outstanding African-American Senior Awards, with Carroll, Hairston and Enurah receiving the honors.
Bennett, an outstanding student who also has received the Susan Scholarship as part of Elon’s Odyssey Scholarship program, is majoring in psychology and double minoring in African-American studies and Spanish. She plans on pursuing a career in marriage and Christian counseling after graduating from Elon.
“This scholarship will give me the opportunity to manifest my capabilities and it instills the hope and promise for my future as a student here at Elon,” said Bennett, unable to attend the reception, in a statement. “I am deeply honored to be the first recipient of this award.”
Mike Duggins ’92, the Black Alumni Network President, added, “All the hard work, planning and soliciting funds, is worth the effort when you are able to give to someone who is so well deserving.”
Leaders of Elon’s Black Alumni Network selected Bennett from a pool of applicants based on academic merit and financial need. Alumni Priscilla Awkard ’95, Darryl Smith ’86 and Kelli Palmer ’98 have been instrumental in building support for the scholarship, which reached the endowment level in May 2010.
“From the start of the Black Alumni Network, there was one dream that was never lost. That was to endow a scholarship that could aid in an African-American student’s journey through Elon,” Awkard said. “Proud, joyful and determined are the three words that best describe this feeling for me: proud of how far we have come, joyful for this moment and now more determined than ever to grow the scholarship into a four-year award.”