Black excellence highlighted at 30th annual Phillips-Perry Awards

Outstanding students, distinguished faculty, and staff members were recognized on April 22 at the 30th annual Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Awards.

The ceremony included opening remarks from President Connie Ledoux Book, introduced by Simone Royal ‘17, assistant director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Diversity Education.

Several Elon black alumni were among those presenting awards, including Deborah Blackwell ’87, Brianna Nobles’21, and La’Tonya Wiley ’97. Keshia Wall, assistant professor of dance and program coordinator for African and African American studies, presented the African & African American Studies at Elon Award to Dani Tomi-Harrold and Shannon Seignious. Alex Bohannon ’17 presented Ethan Lane-Blake with the Elon Black Alumni Network Scholarship Award. The ceremony also included vocal performances by Zeth Dixon ’24 and Anne Sophie Hill ’24, students within Elon’s Music Theatre program. The ceremony concluded with a charge to students by Kiara Hunter ‘23.

​Established in 1993, the mission of the Black Excellence Awards Banquet is to

recognize, celebrate and affirm the presence of Black students at Elon University. Approved by the Elon University Board of Trustees, the annual Black Excellence Awards Banquet was named on April 22, 2006, to honor former Elon students Glenda Phillips Hightower, the first Black student to attend Elon (in 1963), and Eugene Perry, the first Black student to graduate from Elon (in 1969).

Academic Excellence Awards

Students enrolled at Elon University as full-time undergraduate students with a minimum of 12 semester hours of academic course work and a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher during the Fall Semester are eligible for this award.

Highest GPA by Class

• Class of 2026 (five-way tie): Christian Atwater, Kaia Brown, Evelyn Ealey, Niara Legette, Logan Scott
• Class of 2025: Donelle Leak
• Class of 2024: Maya Simmons
• Class of 2023 (two-way tie): Jay Blue, Dani Toma-Harrold

Janice Ratliff Community Service Award

The Janice Ratliff Community Service Award is named in honor of Janice Ratliff, a former advisor of the Black Student Union, a long-time employee of Elon University, and well-known advocate and community figure for the university’s Black students, faculty, and staff. This award goes to a staff member that the Black student body recognizes as an advocate for the Black student experience, whose contributions to the community, whether big or small, always substantially impact the Black community on multiple levels.

Janice Ratliff Community Service Award Recipient

• Simone Royal ‘17

Wilhelmina Boyd Community Service Award

The Wilhelmina Boyd Community Service Award is named in honor of the late Wilhelmina Boyd was an Associate Professor of English and the founder of Elon University’s minor in African and African American Studies. This award goes to a faculty member that the Black student body recognizes as an advocate for the Black student experience and a champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout the curriculum.

Wilhelmina Boyd Community Service Award Recipient

• Buffie Longmire-Avital

Phoenix Award (GPA 3.8 – 4.0)

Anelisa Holder
Christian Atwater
Jay Blue
Kaia Brown
Evelyn Ealey
Donelle Leak
Niara Legette
Logan Scott
Dani Toma-Harrold
Maya Simmons
Jade May
Amaya Sheffield
Sean Mikesh
Raea Tyson
Kiara Hunter
Amaya Gaines
Allena Boddie-Chapman
Mae McWilliams
Jada Moody
Spencer Buehlman
Shannon Seignious
Reese Webster
Gabriel Garcia
Madison McCrainey
Mackenzie Perry
Maleah Proctor
Emily Stuart
Malcolm Capers
Naomi Washington
Kara McKinley
Alyvia Cooke
Mya Osborne
Joshua Cole
Giselle Watts
Briston Whitt
Nicholas Rugbart
Nicole Rudd
Nia Griffin
Anne Sophie Hill
Mya Lee
Fancy Mitchell
Jeremiah Timberlake
Renell Taylor
Cedar Zobel-Williams
Kayla Spalding
Jasper Myers
L.A. Pratt
Daija Rion
Kaitlin McGoogan
Makayla Oby
Ariana Wilson
Delyla Makki
Keiarra Bray
Ineaa Gray
Mikayla Williams

Gold Award (GPA 3.5-3.79)

Sedric Beulah
Christina Stafford
Raven Preston
Moriah Griffin
Corinne Williams
Ravyn Turner
Noah Biggers
Wilnedia Florveus
Alana Moses
Krissy Randolph
Camille Duplechain
Anaya Agard
Alexis Alston
Erin Poole
Camryn Harris
Alicia Clanton
Ellery Ewell
Jasmyn Brown
Dre Smart
Regina Walton
Amani Smalls
Victoria Colbeck
Chandler McKelvey
Zeth Dixon
Chloe Franklin
Ja’mia Johnson
Gabe Tobierre
Akani Bey
Marques Walker
Bryant Short
Jahmai Bruce
Keri Anderson
Madeline Foster
Chelsea Pitcher
Demya Culp
Khairi Morrow
Tamara Evans
Fabienne van Rijssen
Chloe Williams
Jasmine Smith
Christina Carr
Amillion Kearse
Jaelan Price
Hallie Gardham
Gloria Cadet
Aniya Scott
Alexis Cooper
Mia Johnson
Genesis Tolbert
Selena Babiiha
Leah Short
Kamryn Doty
Victoria Moore
Hannah Malvone
Lauryn Carlton
Nyah Britt
Kelsy Williams
Harrison Hunter
James Eaton
Nina McDow
Devon Young
Izaiah Ezeji-Miles
Fatmata Bah
Quirah Hamilton
Samantha Vaz
Kalia Lilly
Vanessa Taylor
Taylor Scott
Trinity Swepson
Morgan Williams
Eileena Boyce
Sydney Randolph
Danielle Dyer
Destinie Lovgren
Sebastian Schroeter
Denise Simmons
Candace Rhodes
Kaliah Alford
Victoria Getter
Mauri Murray

Maroon Award (GPA 3.2-3.49)

Kendall Battles
Sydni Brown
Ainsley Shan
Brittney Hope
Michaela Singletary
Jayla Martin-Beasley
Monique Fogg
Zoe Simmons
Hannah Dereje
Alyssa Wise
Aliya Barrows
Ashley Irby
Aulani Barnes
Zoë Myers
Jasmine Brumsey
Marcus McFarlane
Sarina Smith
Nadia Lawyer
Bonnie Baffoe-Bonnie
Cody Ngwanza
Samantha Steiner
Janeeta Smith
Ashleigh Azan
Kameron Askew
Ivy Montague
Camryn Houston
Nicholas Mesrobian
Salome Onikolase
Kortiney White
Julian Bumper
Kendall Dowdie
Braxton Mayhew
Dearra Mills
Mason Mosley
Sydney Austin
Bethany Griffin
Hana Hawthorne
Maya Loehr
Mahogany Madden-Roberts
Christian Lindsay
Imani Spence
Soniyah Robinson
Alex Seymour
Taryn Vandiver
Miracle Smythe
Jalen Hampton
Caleb Ogunmola
Nailah Ware
Caleb Curtain
Nyles Geiger
Kaitlyn Smith
Chase Augustus
Rachael Curington
Rob Dalton
Sarah Gaynor
Victoria Seymore
Noah Dyson
Shields Riggs
Khoreen Johnson
Kendall Saulsby
Jamiliyah Ismaiel
India Goode
Uwera Izabayo
Sivaun Scott
Donovan Everette
Sena Cadmus
Baxter Glover
Josh Davis
Desean Jones
Jamiah Paschal
Nivea Walker
Kaden Jennings
Cj Jones
Amelia Broderick
Will Lankford
Brandon Fowlin
Hannah Gneco
Mari’ Robinson
Caleb Martin
Katelyn Perez
LoRell McLean
Britt Mobley
Dylan Tucker

Elon Experiences Awards

These students were nominated by faculty and staff members of Elon University as students who excelled in one or more of the five Elon Experiences: Global Engagement, Undergraduate Research, Internships, Service and Civic Engagement, and Leadership.

Excellence in Global Engagement

• Keiarra Bray

Excellence in Undergraduate Research

• Ainsley Shan

Excellence in Internships

• Victory Moore

Excellence in Academic Service Learning

• Chandler McKelvey

Excellence in Leadership

• Christina Carr

The Wilhelmina Boyd African & African American Studies at Elon Award

The Wilhelmina Boyd AAASE Scholar Award was created in the Spring of 2008 to honor the work and contributions of Professor Wilhelmina Boyd’s 18 years of service to Elon University and African & African-American Studies. The award recipient must be a graduating senior with a minor in African & African-American Studies, with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a minimum GPA in the minor of 3.2. In addition, the recipient must demonstrate a commitment to African & African-American Studies as demonstrated through coursework, citizenship/community engagement, scholarship, and student activities/leadership.

Wilhelmina Boyd AAASE Scholar Award Recipient

• Dani Tomi-Harrold and Shannon Seignious

Elon Black Alumni Network Scholarship Award

The Elon Black Alumni Network (EBAN) strives to unite and represent the interests of Elon University’s Black alumni and students and promote active participation of its members. EBAN also seeks to promote the Black presence on campus and sustain the general alumni contributions to the university. Intended to help make an Elon education available to Black students, EBAN established a scholarship fund in 2007. To date, alumni and friends have donated more than $250,000 to the EBAN scholarship, partially funding the educational endeavors of five deserving Black students at Elon University.

Elon Black Alumni Network Scholarship Recipient

• Ethan Lane-Blake

Graduate and Professional Student Awards

Academic Achievement

This award recognizes a Black/African American student who has excelled in academic excellence and possesses the highest-class GPA.

School of Law

• Melo Augustine – (1L)
• Timberly Southerland – (2L)

Doctor of Physical Therapy

• 3rd year: Jordan Waite
• 2nd year: Alicia Wilson
• 1st year: Raya Coley & Jazmyne Davis

Master’s in Higher Education

• Stephen Gyan
• Marie-Clare Ofoegbu

Master’s in Business Administration

• Babatunde Opaleye

Master’s in Business Analytics

• Chelsea Wallace

Interactive Media

• Shaina Catchings

Master’s in Education

• Corey Waters

Leadership

This award recognizes a Black/African American student with exceptional leadership qualities demonstrated through sustained and progressive involvement and participation in university or community organizations. The student has shown the ability to lead, influence, and guide other individuals and/or organizations.

Leadership Award Recipient

• Zac Ormond

Service

This award recognizes a Black/African American student who has demonstrated a sustained commitment in one or more of these community engagement forms beyond Elon’s campus: volunteer service, political engagement, social action and activism, or advocacy—the student who has shown exceptional passion and commitment towards helping others.

Service Award Recipient

• Alicia Wilson

The Phillips-Perry Black Excellence Awards Celebration is presented by Elon’s Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education (CREDE). The planning committee includes:

• Michelle Dawson, Director of Presidential Events
• Anita Hodnett, Director of Counseling Services
• Robert Johnson, Director of Event and Space Management
• Laké Laosebikan-Buggs, Director of Inclusive Excellence for Graduate and Professional Education
• Buffie Longmire-Avital, Director of the Black Lumen Project and Professor of Psychology
• Simone Royal, Assistant Director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education
• Marilyn Slade, Program Assistant of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education
• La’Tonya Wiley, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement
• Michael Williams, Director of Moseley Student Center

The 2023 Elon Experiences Awards Committee includes:

• Olivia Brown, Assistant Director of the Center for Leadership
• Bill Burress, Director of Semester and Exchange Programs
• Bob Frigo, Assistant Dean of Campus Life and Director of the Kernolde Center of Civic Leadership
• Eric Hall, Director of Undergraduate Research
• Robin Kazmarek, Director of Internships