Honors and Awards: Celebrating the Class of 2020 and Members of the Student Body
August 27, 2020
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is pleased to announce the following Honors and Awards which have been conferred upon selected students for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Ordinarily, these awards would have been presented at our annual Honors Chapel, held each May to recognize outstanding achievements by students and graduates. Due to the Seminary’s pivot to remote learning and operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unable to hold Honors Chapel and other events to mark the special occasion for the entire seminary community. In their place were virtual celebrations with graduating students and the final Leave-Taking & Blessing Service.
Regardless of circumstances, the faculty and our partners remained committed to acknowledging and celebrating the gifts and graces of our students and graduates, of whom we are proud to count as colleagues in ministry and service to faith communities and the wider public.
Congratulations to Garrett students and graduates on this important recognition! May this be a token of our collective affirmation of your charism, and a reminder of the Christian conviction that we are each called to be an instrument of God’s grace in this world.
Rev. Dr. Mai-Anh Le Tran
Vice President of Academic Affairs and Academic Dean
2019-2020 Honors and Awards
The Dr. and Mrs. Edgar Faust Preaching Award
Awarded each year by the preaching and worship field to a graduating student who is an outstanding preacher.
2020 Recipient: Shelby Ruch-Teegarden
The Quentin Nolte Prize for Promise in Parish Ministry
Awarded each year by the field education faculty.
2020 Recipient: Chinkee “Jonathan” Kim
J.E. Porter Prize for Creative Field Education
Awarded each year by the field education faculty.
2020 Recipient: Patrick Mulloy
The Dr. Richard Ford Prize for Christian Education
Awarded each year by the Christian education faculty to a graduating student who is an outstanding educator.
2020 Recipient: Denise Ann Belista
The Herwin U. Roop Award for Proficiency in Reading Scriptures
Awarded each year by the preaching and worship faculty.
2020 Recipient: Lydia Marchese
Moriah’s Promise Honor Award
The student recipient is selected by the Congregational Leadership faculty; the faculty recipient is selected by the students in the Congregational Leadership field; and the staff recipient is selected by the faculty and students in Congregational Leadership. The Award recognizes those who demonstrate a ministry of hope in the Church.
2020 Student Recipient: Mikyyung Park
Moriah’s Promise Honor Award
2020 Staff Recipient: Andrea Leftwich
The Ernest T. Campbell Preaching Award
Chosen by the preaching and worship faculty in recognition of their preaching ability.
2020 Recipient: Monica McDougal
Garrett-Evangelical’s Interpretation Award
Given each year to five graduating students for outstanding achievement in Bible and theology.
2020 Student Recipients:
- Lejia Johnson
- Paul Ortiz
- Alexandria Bobbitt
- Kaitlyn Frantz
- Beth Farias
Myrtle Saylor Speer Award
Given to three graduating female students.
2020 Recipients:
- Sarah Cissy Namukose
- Alexandria Bobbitt
- Jamie Sladkey Meehan
Dr. Thomas A. Stafford Greek Prize
Awarded each year by the faculty who teach Greek for excellent achievement.
2020 Recipient: Alexander Dungan
The Styberg Preaching Institute Award
Awarded each year to a graduating student who is an outstanding preacher.
2020 Recipient: Shelby Ruch-Teegarden
The Styberg Preaching Institute DMin Award
Presented by the Styberg Preaching Institute to the graduating student in the ACTS DMin in Preaching program whose preaching project was deemed outstanding and of benefit to the wider church.
2020 Recipient: Yvette Denise Massey
Hoyt L. Hickman Award on behalf of the Order of Saint Luke
Presented to a graduating seminarian who has excelled in worship leadership or liturgical studies.
2020 Recipient: Michael Wilkerson
Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts
Given to someone who has contributed with creativity and quality to chapel services.
2020 Recipient: Darrin Isaac
Deacon’s Heart
Given to a graduating deacon student who embodies the ministries of compassion and justice.
2020 Recipient: Debi Van Den Boom
Harry Hosier Student Award
Given by By Faith Magazine to one African American graduating student from each of the 13 United Methodist seminaries
2020 Recipient: Alexandria Bobbitt