Exemplary students recognized by Cumberlands

Each year, University of the Cumberlands recognizes a number of exemplary undergraduates who have impacted the University and the community around them in outstanding ways. 

The University would like to recognize its Hutton Scholars and Presidential Scholars in addition to the winners of its traditional campus awards.

Hutton Scholars include all undergraduate students who completed a minimum of 200 community service hours during their Cumberlands career. The Class of 2020 had 46 Hutton Scholars and performed 24,538 hours of community service throughout their college careers. The estimated value of volunteer work is $25.43 per hour, making Cumberlands’ total contribution to the community by this class $624,000.

Presidential Scholars are those who have excelled academically and completed significant research in their major field of study, whose work is then reviewed and approved by both the academic department and the Presidential Scholars Research Committee. Presidential Scholars for 2020 include Shelby Bolton (Corbin, Kentucky) with the project “‘The Cause of Liberty and Virtue:’ Debating Virtue in New York and Virginia’s Ratification Contests,” Brooklyn Carpenter (Lawrenceburg, Kentucky) with the project “Solventless Microwave Assisted Synthesis of a Local Anesthetic Lidocaine,” and Mary “Evelyn” Moore (Liberty, Kentucky) with the project “Microwave-Assisted Green Synthesis of Dihydropyrimidone (DHPM) Antibacterial Agent via Biginelli Reaction in Solvent-Free Conditions.”

Cumberlands would also like to commend its graduates who won campus-wide awards based on their service to the community, impact on Cumberlands’ campus, and upstanding values.

The H.N. and Frances Berger Awards honor a male and female student from the senior class who demonstrate outstanding leadership and service to the university and to the larger community as a whole.  Recipients must also demonstrate sound academic achievements.

The female recipient of the Berger Award this year is Brooklyn Carpenter from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Carpenter was a double major in biology and chemistry while completing a minor in missions and ministry. She was a member of two honor societies, and two Campus Ministries leadership teams, and worked as a teaching assistant in the Department of Chemistry.

This year’s male Berger Award recipient was Joseph “Tyler” Pendleton from Spring City, Tennessee. Tyler served as a resident hall assistant and a teaching assistant in the Department of Biology. He was an accomplished member of the football team, winning NAIA All-American Honorable Mention, CoSIDA Academic All-American, and Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Year, among other honors.

The Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Mary Mildred Sullivan Awards honor a male and female student who have made significant contributions to University life while demonstrating outstanding spiritual values.

The 2020 recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award was Jacob (Jake) Singleton from Eubank, Kentucky. Singleton served as a resident hall assistant, an office assistant in the Department of Missions and Ministry, and a freshman orientation leader. He is a prior recipient of the Mahan Service Award from Cumberlands and was a member of the worship team and youth leadership team at his church.

The Mary Mildred Sullivan Award was presented to Anne Russell from Lexington, Kentucky. Anne completed college with a 4.0 GPA while being a member of three music ensembles and three honor societies (serving as secretary and president for one honor society); serving on her church’s worship team, youth ministry team, and children’s ministry team; and volunteering for campus ministry events. She studied abroad in Costa Rica for a semester and has visited three other countries on mission trips. She and Jake Singleton are to be married on May 30th. 

The Gorman Jones and T.J. Roberts Campus Leadership Awards are given to graduating seniors who have exemplified the roles and qualities of leadership on campus while maintaining high academic standing.

The winner of the 2020 Gorman Jones Award is Rejoice OlaOlorun of Louisville, Kentucky. Rejoice originally hails from Lagos, Nigeria. Rejoice served with the Campus Activities Board, two Campus Ministries leadership teams, and the biology honor society. Rejoice was also a resident hall assistant, Bible study leader, freshman orientation leader, and teaching assistant in the Department of Chemistry.

This year’s T.J. Roberts Campus Leadership Award was presented to Miles Matthews of Austin, Indiana. Miles was an accounting major and member of three honor societies, the KyCPA, and the AICPA. He was a member of the tennis team, for which he was named to the Mid-South Conference Academic All-Conference list in 2019, and was a nominee for the Mid-South Conference Champion of Character.

The University thanks these students for their lasting, positive influence on Cumberlands’ campus and the community, and congratulates all Class of 2020 scholars and award winners on a job well done.