English major Cheyanne Cierpial: 2016 President's Medalist

Cheyanne Cierpial, an English major, was awarded a President’s Medal by President Adam Weinberg in a ceremony that took place on Friday, April 15, in Swasey Chapel. The President’s Medal is the highest honor the college bestows on a student, given for academic success as well as for creating a legacy at Denison. Cierpial was one of only nine students to receive this honor.

In presenting the President's Medal to Cierpial, Professor of Philosophy and chair of the faculty Steven Vogel said of Cierpial, “Cheyanne, a faculty member commented that you 'stood out as the student who got me excited to teach and kept me on my toes in my classes.' Phi Beta Kappa, an English major and psychology minor, recipient of the McCann Scholarship and Harriet King Shepardson Prize, and a Laura Harris Summer Scholar, you graduate with a formidable academic record. You embraced your time at Denison with energy, focus, deep intelligence and as a model of intellectual integrity. You have channeled your skill and passion for writing in numerous ways across campus and beyond, from serving on the editorial board of 'Articulate,' writing for 'The Den,' serving as a research assistant for the women's literary non-profit VIDA, and through your summer research project on Virginia Woolf's art and life. Your writing has been des cribed as 'giving voice to the richness and opportunity afforded by a liberal arts education and understanding the variety of human experience.' Your desire to comprehend the variety of human experience has extended into your involvement with the local community. The Licking County Center for the Visually Impaired and Big Brothers/Big Sisters both have benefited greatly from your on-going relationships with their organizations and countless volunteer hours. On campus, your leadership, your commitment to service, and your role as an advocate for the liberal arts are evidenced by your involvement with Leadershape, Anchor Splash, Relay For Life and your work for the Admission Office as a panel member for First Gen College Students and as the creative director of a video for prospective students. Cheyanne, we thank you for your quiet leadership and for raising the intellectual bar both in and outside of class. We know that you will excel in your position as the 2016 Writing Inte rn at the national office of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.”