From Staff Reports

 

AMERICUS — Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) honored eight of its most “outstanding” alumni on March 1 at its third annual Outstanding Alumni Awards Dinner.
At the event, which had been rescheduled due to Hurricane Michael back in October, one graduate from each GSW college/school was recognized, one former student-athlete was inducted into the GSW Athletics Hall of Fame and the Leewyn Finklea and Aeolian Alumni Award recipients were also recognized.
Outstanding Alumni Award recipients:
• Tina Anderson, Ed.D., ’87 and ‘92, School of Business Administration
• Joao Paulo “J.P.” Clementi, ’01, ‘03 School of Computing and Mathematics
• Richard “Ricky” McCorkle, ’76 School of Education
• Neil McGahee, ’71, College of Arts and Sciences
• Kay Hampton, ’77, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Hall of Fame inductee:
• Phillip Brown, ’11, College of Arts and Sciences
Leewyn Finklea Award recipient:
• Jimmy Peel, ’80, School of Business Administration
Aeolian Award recipient:
• Pam Carswell, Ed.D., ’78, School of Education

With guests trickling in from across the country, the Outstanding Alumni Awards Dinner has become a signature event at GSW. GSW President Neal Weaver expressed to the awardees that their stories were inspiring and keep faculty and staff motivated hearing of the impact that GSW made on their lives.
Weaver continued on in his remarks about how presidents, faculty and staff, and students come and go, “but the one thing that is constant about this university is the alumni. You are the only group of people who are tied to this university forever. We strive to make this the university you are proud of and you will always come back and be a part of.”
Alumni Affairs Specialist Angela Smith, organizer of the event, said, “This is an opportunity to honor our alumni who have accomplished extraordinary things since their time on campus, and welcome them back, along with their family and friends, to celebrate. Each of these individuals are remarkable representatives of the university and indicative of the level of student leaders that are taught, nurtured and developed at GSW.”
“It was inspiring to hear each recall their time on campus and describe the impact — both personally and professionally — that Georgia Southwestern, had on each of them,” Smith continued. “It makes you proud to be a part of the GSW family. I was especially moved by the number of friends who were in attendance to support each nominee, many of whom met right here on the GSW campus.”
More about the Outstanding Alumni: