Social Work Academic Achievement, Leadership & Service Honored

The Academic Honors Convocation and the Service and Leadership Awards Ceremony, two annual events that recognize the achievements of Ashland University students, faculty and staff, took place on Sunday. 

Social Work Students Honored for Outstanding Academic Achievement
At the Convocation, one student at the sophomore, junior and senior in each department is recognized as an Outstanding Student, who has notable scholarly achievement, acts as an academic role model for other students within the department, and possesses an inquiring and/or creative mind. 

The following social work students were recognized for their outstanding achievements:

(from left to right)

Bailey Fullwiler,
     senior social work major

Leah Paxton,
      sophomore social work major

Alison Bartholomew,
       junior social work major




Social Work Students, Organization, Staff Honored for Service, Leadership
The Social Work Club and several social work students were recognized as being nominated for or for receiving awards in various categories at the Service and Leadership Awards Ceremony.

Bailey Fullwiler, who was nominated for several awards and received the Dr. Donald Rinehart Honor and Integrity award, addressed the audience as the Ceremony's keynote speaker.  Throughout her four years at Ashland University, Ms. Fullwiler has been involved in numerous organizations including Social Work Club, Campus Activities Board, and Theta Phi Alpha sorority.  Through these organizations and her time at AU, she states she was "shap[ed into] a more confident, joyful and skilled version of herself."

"Somewhere along the way," Ms. Fullwiler continued, "I had shifted from a freshman girl afraid to raise her hand in class to a senior woman thrilled to be around and helping others. This past semester I have been in a full time internship for [the Social Work] program and each and every day I have been able to use the skills I learned from my involvements, leadership roles and class work to benefit my clients and agencies."

Also recognized at the Ceremony was Stephanie Julian, a senior social work student who was nominated for the Volunteer Hall of Fame award, the Social Work Club's "Give a Meal" project, which was nominated for the Service Project of the Year award, and Sara Garska, the Social Work Program's Administrative Assistant, who was nominated for the Outstanding Female Staff Member of the Year award.

"I came to Ashland to earn a degree but what I got along the way was so much more. Ashland fundamentally changed my life, and, more importantly, it gave me an opportunity to have that same positive impact on others," says Ms. Fullwiler.  "Truly, this is a place where extraordinary things occur, each and every day."