Bob Jones University Students Named to President’s List
The following local students are among over 590 Bob Jones University students named to the President’s List for high academic achievement during the Spring 2025 semester.
To qualify for the President’s List, students must earn a 3.75 or higher grade point average for the semester.
- Esther Bain, a Junior Biblical Counseling major at Bob Jones University, is a resident of Williamsburg.
- Jude Bain, a Sophomore Interior Architecture and Design major at Bob Jones University, is a resident of Williamsburg.
Located in Greenville, South Carolina, Bob Jones University provides a regionally accredited Christian liberal arts education.
University of Maryland Global Campus Announces Winter 2025 Graduates
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) graduated nearly 900 students in the winter 2025 term, including the following students from the area:
- Theodore Woll of Yorktown, Master of Business Administration
- Shandel Hannam of Williamsburg, Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management and Policy
University of Maryland Global Campus was founded more than 75 years ago specifically to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military servicemembers. For more information, visit umgc.edu.
University of Georgia celebrates Class of 2025
The University of Georgia celebrated more than 8,000 candidates for graduation in the Class of 2025 during its Commencement ceremonies. The spring undergraduate ceremony will took place Friday, May 9 at in Sanford Stadium. The spring graduate ceremony was held in two sessions on May 8 in Stegeman Coliseum.
Local students honored included:
- Amanda Harwell of Yorktown
- Dana Kiger of Toano
- Isabella Tonk of Williamsburg
UGA alumnus Jarryd Wallace, four-time Paralympian and winner of two bronze medals, delivered the spring undergraduate Commencement address. Paige Carmichael, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor and University Professor in the Department of Pathology, delivered the address at the graduate ceremonies.
For additional details, visit UGA’s Commencement website, commencement.uga.edu.
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi Elects New Members
The following people recently were elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.
- Aspen Burton of Yorktown at James Madison University.
- Caleb Song of Williamsburg at United States Air Force Academy
- Gaius Thorne of Williamsburg at Old Dominion University
- Alden Castillo of Yorktown at University of Maryland Global Campus
- David Futrell of Williamsburg at Old Dominion University
- Jenna Papuchis of Yorktown at Old Dominion University
- Ayesha Das of Williamsburg at Virginia Commonwealth University
They are among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10% of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10% of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.
Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and its territories. Its mission is to “cultivate a community that celebrates and advances the love of learning.” For more information, visit PhiKappaPhi.org.
Shenandoah Football Has 13 Named To NFF Hampshire Honor Society
Shenandoah University’s football program had 13 student-athletes named to the 2025 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society in selections announced by the NFF on April 21.
Shenandoah’s honorees include:
- Corey Kidwell of Yorktown
- Isaac Tucker of Williamsburg
Shenandoah is one of only 44 NCAA Division III institutions — and one of 97 schools across all divisions nationwide — to have 10 or more student-athletes recognized in this year’s prestigious group. In all, a record 2,514 college football players were named to the 2025 NFF Hampshire Honor Society.
Each honoree met the society’s criteria, which includes maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher and serving as a significant contributor on the field during the 2024 season. Players are nominated by their respective schools and must be either a senior who completed their final year of eligibility in 2024, or a graduated player or grad transfer who has already earned a bachelor’s degree and competed in the 2024 season.
Since the Hampshire Honor Society’s founding in 2007, more than 20,900 student-athletes have been recognized for their excellence on and off the field. For more information about the NFF Hampshire Honor Society and to view the full list of 2025 honorees, visit footballfoundation.org.
Shenandoah University Sport Management Students Works NCAA DI Wrestling Championships
Shenandoah University student Samuel Tighe of Williamsburg was one of three Shenandoah University students who took an experiential learning trip to the NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling National Championships held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on March 20-22.
Brian Wigley, Ed.D., chair of the Division of Sport Management & Esports, accompanied the students, who volunteered at the championship by helping fans enter the arena safely, directing them to their seats and answering questions about the event’s timeline. Given that President Trump attended the event, they also worked directly with the Secret Service on event security. After the championship ended, they broke down equipment at Lincoln Financial Field, which was used as a secondary NCAA Fan Experience location.
This trip was one in a series of collaborations between the School of Business and the NCAA. Previously, Shenandoah University students worked with the NCAA Division III Field Hockey National Championships, and in April they traveled to the Final Four in San Antonio.
Shenandoah University Sends Students To Poland As Part Of Its Global Citizenship Project
During spring break, Shenandoah University student Melia Teixeira of Yorktown traveled to Poland alongside nine other students, faculty and staff members as a part of the university’s Global Citizenship Project.
Shenandoah University’s Global Citizenship Project celebrated its 20th year in 2025 and sent students, faculty and staff members to Colombia, Nepal, Poland, Taiwan and Tanzania this spring. Since its inaugural year in 2005, GCP has sent over 1,400 students, staff, faculty, and trustees to over 70 countries and seven U.S. states and territories so that each participant might learn more about the world and themselves. To learn more about GCP, visit su.edu/gcp.
Shenandoah University is a a private, nationally recognized university established in 1875, and is headquartered at the top of Virginia, in Winchester, with additional educational sites in Clarke and Loudoun counties and online offerings.
SNHU Announces Spring 2025 President’s List
Southern New Hampshire University congratulated the following students on being named to the Spring 2025 President’s List. The spring terms run from January to May.
Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.700 and above for the reporting term are named to the President’s List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer.
- Teresa St Sauveur of Yorktown
- Trevor Jolie of Yorktown
- Joseph Frick of Yorktown
- Jennifer Perin of Yorktown
- Kevin Moss of Yorktown
- Christopher West of Yorktown
- Sean Carr of Yorktown
- Marta Khomchanka of Yorktown
- Grayson Topping of Yorktown
- Jennifer Miller of Hampton
- Caitlin Bevilacqua of Hampton
- Kimberly Quinn of Hampton
- Darian Lazor of Hampton
- Jacob Keough-Mishler of Williamsburg
- Troy Morton of Williamsburg
- Mariah Wilder of Williamsburg
- Jordan Swe of Williamsburg
- Joseph Turrentine of Williamsburg
- Monique Skallberg of Williamsburg
- Michael Santana of Williamsburg
- Andrew Hawley of Williamsburg
- Jackson Cummins of Toano
SNHU also congratulated the following students on being named to the Spring 2025 Dean’s List.
Full-time undergraduate students who have earned a minimum grade-point average of 3.500 to 3.699 for the reporting term are named to the Dean’s List. Full-time status is achieved by earning 12 credits over each 16-week term or paired 8-week terms grouped in fall, winter/spring, and summer.
- Bradford Higson of Seaford
- Victoria Rhodes of Yorktown
- Cyanne Perdomo of Yorktown
- Austin Mejias of Hampton
- Alicia Harr of Hampton
- Maria Holland of Williamsburg
- Katherine Turk of Williamsburg
- Carissa Williams of Williamsburg
- Victoria Shackleford of Toano
Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with a 92-year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults.
