ABINGTON, Pa. — Penn State Abington closed out the spring semester by honoring its high-achieving students with leadership and academic awards. One hundred and one students received University-wide honors for academic success.
Eric A. and Josephine S. Walker Award: Senior Michael Litz earned the prestigious Walker Award, which recognizes a student from each Commonwealth Campus whose outstanding qualities of character, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship have been directed into programs and services that have positively influenced fellow students and have contributed to the prestige and well-being of their campus and to the reputation of the University a whole.
Exemplary Leadership Award: Six students were selected to receive the Exemplary Leadership Awards for their demonstrated ability to initiate and follow through in the pursuit of a positive objective or goal, while inspiring others to engage in the same pursuit. Their exemplary leadership was demonstrated in student organizations, the classroom, athletic competition, and/or in the community: Pamala Dayley, Jordan Moore, Gerardo Suarez-Nieto, Jhenna-Sophia Trikha, Daniel Wang and Serena Young.
Schreyer Honors College: Eight seniors received earned their Schreyer Honors College medals for scholarly achievement, integrity of purpose, and intellectual curiosity: Kiara Abreu, Gabrielle Aguilar, Erin Bergner, Pamela Dayley, Michaella Flannery, Michael Litz, Floriana Tulli and Khaled Zakkout.
President’s Freshman Award: Established in 1960, the President’s Freshman Award is presented annually to undergraduate degree candidates and provisional students who have earned a 4.00 (A) cumulative grade-point average based on at least 12 graded Penn State credits completed by the end of the fall semester of the academic year in which the award is given. Candidates are eligible for this award if they have not exceeded 35 total credits earned. Seventy-seven first-year students received this award.
President Sparks Award: This award is presented annually to those sophomore undergraduate degree candidates who have earned a 4.00 (A) cumulative grade-point average based on at least 36 graded Penn State credits completed by the end of the fall semester of the academic year the award is given. Candidates are eligible for this award if they have not exceeded 59 total credits earned. Edwin Earle Sparks was the president of the University from 1908 to 1920. Eleven Abington students received this award: Ariel Hooks, Joseph E. Hughes, Celia Kenny, Jinyi Li, Samantha Link, Erin McHugh, Yalan Qin, Sorelle Hope Sax, Zheru Shen, Alexandra Vullings and Lixian Yan.
Evan Pugh Scholar Award: The Evan Pugh award is presented to those juniors and seniors who are in the upper 0.5% of their classes and have completed at least 48 Penn State credits at the end of the fall semester of the academic year the award is given. Candidates are eligible if they have been full-time undergraduate students for at least four semesters prior to selection. The Abington juniors are Ashley Cesario, Chaewan Chun, Molly Davis, Selina Nguyen and Kaeli Marie Whalley. Eight seniors also earned the Evan Pugh award: Moshe Adika, Christine Beck, Donald W. Garecht, Daniel A. Jalosinski, Narrara Melodonascimentodemou, Michaelyn Marie Morgan, Simona Dimitrova Simeonovam and Joanna Wnek.
About Penn State Abington
Penn State Abington provides an affordable, accessible and high-impact education resulting in the success of a diverse student body. It is committed to student success through innovative approaches to 21st-century public higher education within a world-class research university. With about 3,700 students, Penn State Abington is a residential campus that offers baccalaureate degrees in 21 majors, undergraduate research, the Schreyer honors program, NCAA Division III athletics, and more.