Kirsten Stovall, Elton East Among Those Honored at RCC Academic Honors Ceremony

Kirsten Stovall of Liberty, an Associate in Arts-College Transfer student, was honored as Randolph Community College’s 2017 Academic Excellence Award winner by Dr. Robert S. Shackleford, RCC president, at the college’s eighth annual Student Academic Honors Awards Ceremony on April 20 at Oakhurst Baptist Church. Stovall was also honored as RCC’s nominee for the statewide Robert Scott Leadership Award.

Stovall was one of 58 students from each community college in North Carolina who were recognized in April for academic excellence. AEA selection requirements are consistent with Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society criteria. Students must be currently enrolled, must have completed at least 12 semester hours in an associate degree program, and must have a cumulative grade point average of no less than 3.25. A committee at RCC selected the final recipient based on faculty recommendations.

In 2004, the North Carolina Association of Community College Presidents created the Governor Robert Scott Leadership Award as a way to (1) recognize student leadership on a statewide level while also (2) honoring former Governor Bob Scott. Governor Scott served as the State’s chief executive from 1968-1972 and then was president of the community college system for 12 years from 1983-1995. This is an award designed to highlight outstanding curriculum student leadership and service.

Stovall is an RCC Presidential Scholar and serves as the president of the statewide student government association for community colleges (N4CSGA). She is also vice president of RCC’s local SGA, a group she has been a part of since her first semester in fall 2015. When she graduates from RCC in May 2017, Kirsten plans to transfer to North Carolina State University and major in communications/public relations with a minor in political science.

Elton W. East was honored as RCC’s nominee for the Dallas Herring Achievement Award, which was established by the NCCCS to honor the late Dr. Dallas Herring, whose philosophy of “taking people where they are and carrying them as far as they can go” is the guiding principle of the system. The award is given annually to a current or former community college student who best embodies Dr. Herring’s philosophy.

A graduate of Southwestern Randolph High School, East served in the Army Infantry until October 2012. He was deployed to Iraq three times. After injuries forced him to retire from the Army, East returned to school at RCC, earning an Associate in Applied Science degree in Computer-Integrated Machining in 2015. Not satisfied, East decided to continue at RCC and will complete an associate degree in Electrical Systems Technology this spring and another one in Mechatronics Engineering Technology next fall. A Phi Theta Kappa honor student, East has had help with his post-traumatic stress disorder from a service dog named Maggie since 2014. 

For the complete list of academic and curriculum awards, go to http://www.randolph.edu/headlines/1542-2017-academic-awards.html.