School of Communications honors student excellence

The School of Communications celebrated its annual awards ceremony on April 10 in Turner Theatre, recognizing outstanding student achievement from the 2024–25 academic year. The end-of-the-year ceremony was filled with heartfelt moments, memorable stories, and a few cheerful tears, highlighting the vibrant spirit of the school community.

From a pool of nearly 1,300, more than 45 exceptional students were honored for their academic excellence, leadership in campus media and student organizations, and impressive performance in competitive internships. Additionally, the school presented its inaugural Excellence in Community Engagement Award, recognizing a student who has thoughtfully engaged with the local community.

“There is no KPI greater than the success of our students,” said Kenn Gaither, dean of the School of Communications, during his opening remarks. “This is a day to celebrate them.”

Ceremony photos are available on the school’s Flickr page.

Outstanding Senior Award recipients

These six awards recognize graduating seniors who have gone above and beyond – demonstrating exceptional talent, deep expertise in their fields, and a lasting impact on both the School of Communications and their areas of study through personal and professional achievements.

• Christian Kelly, Cinema and Television Arts Award. Presented by Bryan Baker.
• Ashley Josey, Communication Design Award. Presented by Ben Hannam.
• Avery Sloan, Journalism Award. Presented by Anthony Hatcher.
• Charlotte Turner, Media Analytics Award. Presented by David Bockino.
• Brynja Burton, Sport Management Award. Presented by Shaina Dabbs.
• Donelle Leak, Strategic Communications Award. Presented by Lee Bush.

Student Scholarships

The scholarships and honorees are listed as they were presented at the April 10 ceremony.

Times-News Publishing Co., Inc. Scholarship
Venus Soto Castaneda

Awarded to one journalism student in the School of Communications who is planning on a career in print journalism and has demonstrated leadership, scholarship, service to the community, and exemplary character traits. Presented by Abby Igoe.

Anthony & Olga Duke Communications Scholarship
Julien Dupas

Awarded to students pursuing majors in the School of Communications on the basis of merit. Presented by Alison Doherty.

Sport Management Endowed Scholarship
Shelby Keel and Lucy McAfee

Awarded to declared sport management majors who have a record of contributions to the department and exhibit significant potential for professional success. Presented by Khirey Walker and Alex Traugutt.

Excellence in Community Engagement Award
Waverly Smith

Awarded to one student in the School of Communications who has engaged deeply and consistently with the local community throughout their time at Elon. Presented by Kyle Anderson.

William S. E. Neff Elon Experiences Scholarship
Brianna Crawford

Awarded to students with outstanding merit within the School of Communications to complete an Elon experience through study abroad, internship, leadership, service or undergraduate research. Presented by Shanetta Pendleton.

Stanley Albright Cook and Grace Lillian Lane Cook Endowed Scholarship
Monika Jurevicius

Awarded to students majoring in journalism who demonstrate outstanding scholarly work. Presented by Anthony Hatcher.

Don Bolden School of Communications Dean’s Scholarship Fund
Lilliana Molina

This award was created to fund experiences for Elon students to understand the links between learning in the classroom and applying that knowledge to explore and report on the world around them. Presented by Alex Luchsinger.

The James F. Hurley Legacy Scholarship
Charlotte Pfabe

Awarded to high achieving students enrolled in the School of Communications with preference to journalism majors. Presented by Kelly Furnas.

Dubois Legacy Scholarship
Colin Dorroh

Awarded to rising juniors or seniors in the School of Communications who demonstrate a consistent commitment to their course of study and who show great promise through their participation in study abroad programs and internships. Presented by David Bockino.

James Wesley Willard II Memorial Scholarship
Colin Tierney

Awarded to one student enrolled in the School of Communications on the basis of merit. Presented by Jane O’Boyle.

Brad Hamm International Communications Scholarship
Camila Montoya Posada

Awarded to one rising junior or senior student enrolled in the School of Communications, who is either an international student or has demonstrated strong international interest. Presented by Ben Hannam.

James Michael Elzar Foreman Endowment
Philip Doherty

This award honors the most promising rising senior focusing on television production to be used to fund an Elon Experience related to the student’s major. Presented by Max Negin.

D’Angelo Family Scholarship in Memory of Bill and Kappy Leonard
Anjolina Fantaroni

Awarded to one outstanding rising senior majoring in journalism and preparing to enter the field of broadcast journalism. Presented by Alex Luchsinger.

A.J. Fletcher Award
Emma Corbett and Molly Lorden

This award honors outstanding students majoring in strategic or broadcast communications who demonstrate a wide-ranging interest in the field, service to the community, and leadership on campus or in their lives. Presented by Qian Xu.

Chris Edwards ’18 Award for Sports Journalism
Sam Landesman

This award recognizes the work of a graduating senior who has established a record of academic success, demonstrated mastery within sports journalism, and made significant contributions to their major. It will honor quality sports journalism in Chris’ name, serving as an annual reminder to students and alumni of his contributions to the School of Communications. Presented by Max Negin.

School of Communications Founding Dean Scholarship Endowment
Madeline Bauman and Sarah Moore

Awarded to rising seniors with strong academic records in one of the majors offered by the School of Communications who are emerging as leaders in student media or student organizations in the school. Presented by Hal Vincent and Amanda Sturgill.

Special recognitions

To kick off the ceremony, Gaither recognized the school’s fourth class of Kappa Tau Alpha, the college honor society that recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.

This year’s honorees include: Audrey Bartlett, Coral Clark, Sami Engel, Robin Falkow, Claire Gormley, Caroline Healey, Claire Kenealy, Donelle Leak, Katherine Martin, Anna Okum, Madison Powers, Abby Reed, Callie Reing, Lily Ribero, Annabelle Stephens and Devon Sweeney. Members must rank in the top 10 percent of their class and hold at least a 3.0 GPA.

Kappa Tau Alpha, or KTA, is the seventh-oldest honor society in the nation and one of a few that specifically recognizes the achievements and academic performance of our nation’s burgeoning journalists.