Award, speaker nominations now open

Sonja James Gaitor
Wanted: nominees for student speakers and awards! Deadline is Mar. 31. Sonja James-Gaitor (at podium) was a student speaker at Commencement 2014.

It’s time once again for Stetson faculty, staff and students to nominate the graduating senior you feel is the most deserving of the Stetson University senior awards. Your nominations will be tallied to ultimately determine who will be honored at this year’s commencement ceremonies.

Nominations for two awards and three commencement speakers should be submitted via the online nomination form on the official Commencement 2015 website. Nominations are anonymous. The deadline for submitting is Tues., Mar. 31.

Information you will need to nominate someone includes:

  • Name of Person being nominated
  • Category:
    • Etter McTeer Turner Award
    • Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award
    • Senior Speaker, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Senior Speaker, School of Business Administration
    • Senior Speaker, School of Music
  • Why the person is being nominated

Etter McTeer Turner Award

Presented during the May undergraduate commencement ceremonies, The Etter McTeer Turner Award recognizes the graduating senior who has achieved the highest standard of excellence in academic performance, leadership, community service, personal character and integrity. The award was initiated by the J. Ollie Edmunds family, through the Gualala Foundation, to honor the service of the late Etter McTeer Turner, Stetson’s first woman Dean of Students. It provides a companion student award to the William Hugh McEniry Excellence in Teaching Award, also established by the Edmunds family to recognize deserving faculty. One student is selected for the Etter McTeer Turner Award.

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards are presented annually at the University Honors Convocation in May to the man and the woman in the graduating class whose “nobility of character” and dedication to service set them apart as examples for others. This prestigious award generally is considered among the highest recognition given to a graduating senior and is given at many universities jointly by the institution and the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation in New York. The Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award was created nearly 100 years ago to honor Sullivan’s life of service to others.

Senior Speakers

Three senior speakers will be chosen for this year’s commencement ceremonies: one from the College of Arts and Sciences, one from the School of Business Administration, and one from the School of Music. Senior Speakers typically are students with a solid academic record who have made significant contributions to the Stetson community through leadership and co-curricular involvement. They represent students who have fully engaged in the educational experience while at Stetson. Information provided within the nomination will be used to select 18 semifinalists (six from each of the three schools). The semifinalists for Senior Speaker will be notified and asked to submit an application which includes a description of the topic and a brief outline of their address. Nine finalists will be chosen to present their proposed speeches to a committee of faculty, staff and students for selection. It is acceptable for students to nominate themselves for Senior Commencement Speaker.

For more info on the award nominations and commencement, please visit the official Stetson Commencement website.