Union University hosted its second weekend of Scholars of Excellence on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21. The scholars were recognized for their academic and leadership achievements and invited to compete for the university’s top academic scholarships. The competition included discussions on current events, faculty-selected essay discussions and one-on-one interviews with professors.
“I tried to just be myself, be honest and show what I have accomplished in my life through my answers,” Lucy Carson, a high school senior from Jackson, said. “You could tell everyone there had prepared well and knew what they were talking about.”
“The Scholars of Excellence program represents Union in a broad number of ways,” Zeke Lampley, a sophomore audio engineering major who served as both a scholar host and admissions ambassador, said. “It displays Union’s desire to push students academically, mentally and spiritually to grow past what they believed they could. Focused on our people, centered on Christ, driven for excellence and directed towards our future.”
The scholars’ schedule began with check-in and meeting their host, who showed them around campus, escorted them to events and housed them overnight in dorms.
“Hosting a scholar makes me excited because I see it as an opportunity to make an impression on these possible students and hopefully represent Union the best I can and, more importantly, represent Christ the best I can, along with giving them a little taste of college,” Lampley said.
“There was quite a wide range of people there,” Carson said. “I think it showed that Union has a good academic reputation. They did a good job selecting participants. They definitely chose those that have a strive for excellence and love for the Lord that Union stands for.”
The weekend included an introductory session in the George M. Savage Memorial Chapel, followed by a time to prepare for the President’s Dinner. After dinner, a campus coffee shop hosted local musical artists for the scholars and students. On Saturday, discussions and interviews began after breakfast, allowing scholars to showcase their academic abilities through conversation.
“I loved how welcoming everyone was,” Carson said. “Even in the midst of competing against one another, people were telling each other about how well they discussed and performed throughout the day. It is definitely a community I want to be a part of.”
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