Posted on Friday, October 18, 2024
A cherished event of Homecoming week, the Alumni Awards luncheon will honor alumni and friends who have excelled in their professional efforts while remaining dedicated supporters of the college. The ceremony will take place on Friday, Oct. 25, at noon, in Dickson Assembly Room at Turner Hall.
The event recognizes the recipients of the Shackelford Alumni Achievement Award, the Outstanding Young Alumni Award and the Honorary Alumni Award. This year’s honorees are Rachel Samples Jones ’08, Dr. Michael Thomas ’05, Emily Arnold ’17, M’18, David McCollum and Dr. John Williams.
"These individuals have distinguished themselves in their fields and exemplify the spirit of our college," said Martha Pirkle, Director of Alumni and Community Relations. "We are honored to celebrate their accomplishments."
Shackelford Alumni Achievement Award
Rachel Samples Jones ’08 received a bachelor’s degree in political science from LaGrange College, a bachelor’s degree in computer networking and security from the University of Maryland Global Campus, a master’s degree in space management from International Space University and a master’s degree in intelligence studies from American Military University. She is pursuing a doctorate in aerospace sciences from the University of North
Dakota.
After six years working as an intelligence specialist for the U.S. Air Force, Jones went on to work as a public affairs specialist for the Macauley-Brown Inc. 67th Cyber Wing in San Antonio, Texas, in 2018. Two years later, she started her current role as national security analyst for the Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, South Carolina.
Jones’ position involves conducting research and development in the fields of cybersecurity, operational technology, cyber-physical systems and space science.
In her volunteer roles, she has served as an education ambassador for Amateur Radio on the International Space Station and worked as an analog astronaut on two separate occasions. Jones’ missions included a two-week stint at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah and a 24-hour underwater experiment at the Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida.
Dr. Michael Thomas ’05 earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from LaGrange College and a master’s degree in family financial planning and a doctorate in financial planning, housing and consumer economics from the University of Georgia.
He is a lecturer at the University of Georgia. Previously, Dr. Thomas worked at LaGrange College as a director of family financial planning and the director of admissions.
In addition to teaching, he has also co-created financial planning programs for youth (Money Dawgs) and adults (Discovering Money Solutions) and co-hosted a GABBY (Georgia Association of Broadcasters) award-winning podcast on NPR, “Nothing Funny About Money,” which received the best financial consumer content award through AFCPE - a national financial literacy organization.
Dr. Thomas has served as a keynote speaker, authored a book entitled “Black Financial Culture” and created resources aimed at improving financial wellness on a national level.
At LaGrange College, he received the Business Department’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019.
He and his wife, Ashlee, have two children.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Emily Arnold ’17, M’18 earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from LaGrange College and an educational specialist degree in educational leadership from Arkansas State University.
Her professional teaching experience started in 2018 in Navarre, Florida, where she worked as a third and fifth grade teacher at Holley-Navarre Intermediate School. Four years later, Arnold moved to Gulf Breeze, Florida, where she taught third and fifth grade at Oriole Beach Elementary School. In January 2024, she became the dean of students at Gulf Breeze High School.
In her current position, Arnold has overseen the implementation of a positive behavior incentive program that highlights positive actions by students as awarded by teachers. She also serves as a mentor to students in high-risk groups.
At LaGrange College, she participated in volleyball, softball, LIFT (Leaders Inspired For Tomorrow), Phi Mu and Presidential Ambassadors. Academic honors she received in 2017 include the Dr. Waights G. Henry Jr. Leadership Award, the Walter Malcolm Shackelford Award for Excellence in Education and the Eagle Leadership Award.
Honorary Alumni Award
David McCollum earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology
and a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University.
He is a certified public and management accountant with 25 years of experience driving organizational success through tracking and analyzing operating results and financial measurements. Currently, McCollum lives in Macon, Georgia, and works as Chief Financial Officer at Mid-State Energy Authority, a provider of natural gas to more than 5,000 customers in six counties.
His role as a financial leader in several organizations throughout his career has involved protecting corporate assets through the development of strong internal controls and implementation of reliable accounting policies and procedures. McCollum enjoys working across all disciplines to encourage greater understanding of financial measurements and to develop tools and information needed to plan, direct and track achievement.
At LaGrange College, he and his wife, Kathy, are members of the President’s Circle and the 1831 Lifetime Giving Society.
Dr. John Williams earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Auburn University and a doctorate in
English from Georgia State University.
He came to LaGrange College in 1989 as an English professor, a position he held until his retirement from the institution in 2015.
While at LaGrange, Dr. Williams served as chair of the cultural enrichment committee and coordinated the Georgia Author of the Year Awards in 1991 and 1992.
In his retirement, he has been working as an instructor and mentor in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Williams also writes fiction, non-fiction, plays, essays and film scripts. In 2003, he received the Georgia Writers’ Georgia Author of the Year award for his first novel, “Lake Moon.” His most recent project was co-writing the screenplay for “Fried Chicken Day,” a production filmed in LaGrange. Other publications include “End Times” and “Atlanta Pop in the 50s, 60s and 70s: The Magic of Bill Lowery.”
The week’s student events include:
Sunday – Red and Black Picnic (hosted by Black Student Union), 3 p.m., Residential Quad; Homecoming Worship Service, 7 p.m., Chapel
Monday – Panther Pride Kickoff, 11 a.m., Caswell Plaza; Panther Ball (hosted by Black Student Union and Housing and Student Life), 7:30 p.m., Dickson Assembly Room
Tuesday – Paint the Plaza Black and Red Pep Rally (hosted by Panther Activities Committee), 11 a.m., Caswell Plaza
Wednesday – R&B Sip and Paint (hosted by Panther Activities Committee), 8 p.m., Dickson Assembly Room
Thursday – Silent Headphone Party, 8 p.m., Callaway Education Building
Friday – Homecoming bonfire, 8 p.m., Callaway Education Building parking lot
Saturday – Tailgate, 10 a.m., Callaway Auditorium parking lot; Homecoming Football Game, 1 p.m., Callaway Stadium; After Party, 10 p.m., Callaway Education Building
Alumni events include the 40th Tom Duckett Memorial Golf Classic (Friday, 10 a.m., Highland Country Club); Class of 1974 50th Reunion Celebration (Friday, 5:30 p.m., Lamar Dodd Art Center); Flashback Friday Party (Friday, 6:30 p.m., Overlook Plaza in downtown LaGrange); Association of Black Collegians Meet and Greet (Friday, 7:30 p.m., Beason Recital Hall at West Side); Men’s Alumni Basketball Meet and Greet (Saturday, 10 a.m., Mariotti Gym); Classes of 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964 Reunion Picnic Luncheon (Saturday, 11:30 a.m., Beason); Fifth Quarter Social for Classes of 2018-2020 (Saturday, 4 p.m., Beacon Brewery); 30th Reunion Celebration (Saturday, 5 p.m., Beacon Brewery); 10th Reunion Celebration (Saturday, 6:30 p.m., Beacon Brewery); Classes of 1974-80 & Friends Celebration (Saturday, 7 p.m., Ensemble Building Room E506, West Side); Association of Black Collegians Group Gathering (Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Beason Recital Hall, West Side); and the LC Alumni and Community Memorial Service (Sunday, 10:30 a.m., Chapel).
Time Management: A Tool or a Mindset?
Friday, Oct. 18
11 a.m., Corn Auditorium
Jarrett Sanders, Auburn University Athletics
Tuesday, Oct. 22
11 a.m., Bailey Room
Jerry Wilkinson, Servant Scholars Program
Thursday, Oct. 24
11 a.m., Dickson Assembly Room
Football
The Panthers dominated NC Wesleyan with a 31-9 win on Saturday, Oct. 12. They will continue their road trip as they head to Brevard on Saturday, Oct. 19, to take on the Tornadoes in USA South play.
Freshman Mychal Stillwell was named USA South’s Offensive Rookie of the Week. He caught six passes for 83 yards in a 31-9 win at USA South rival N.C. Wesleyan last week.
Volleyball
LC fell to Maryville 0-3 and defeated Agnes Scott 3-1 at Maryville on Saturday, Oct. 12. This week, the team picked up a victory against Huntingdon, as they bested the Hawks 3-1 in front of a raucous Richter Gym crowd. They will look to ride that momentum into the weekend when they take on Asbury and host Wesleyan in tri-match action on Saturday, Oct. 19, in Macon, Georgia.
Men's Soccer
The Panthers suffered a 0-5 loss against Asbury on Saturday, Oct. 12. On Wednesday, the team defended their home turf for the final time this season, besting the Hawks of Huntingdon by a final score of 4-1. They head to Cochran, Georgia, on Sunday, Oct. 20, to do battle with the Knights of Middle Georgia State in an out-of-conference bout.
Women's Soccer
LC took a 0-5 loss against Maryville on Saturday, Oct. 12. On Tuesday, the team experienced one of the most enthralling wins of the entire season against Huntingdon, overcoming a 2-0 deficit late in the contest with a five-goal burst to win 5-2. They will travel to Demorest, Georgia, to compete against Piedmont on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
(Please note that schedules may change due to circumstances beyond our control. Please check www.lagrangepanthers.com to confirm.)
Saturday, Oct. 19 – Volleyball Tri-Match vs. Wesleyan and Asbury @Wesleyan, noon and 2 p.m., Macon, Georgia
Saturday, Oct. 19 – Football at Brevard, 3:30 p.m., Brevard, North Carolina
Sunday, Oct. 20 – Men’s Soccer at Middle Georgia, 3 p.m., Cochran, Georgia
Monday, Oct. 21 – Men’s Golf at Chick-fil-a Invitational, Rome, Georgia
Monday, Oct. 21 – Volleyball Reserves (Home) vs. Shorter, 7 p.m., Richter Gym
Tuesday, Oct. 22 – Men’s Golf at Chick-fil-a Invitational, Rome, Georgia
Wednesday, Oct. 23 – Women’s Soccer at Piedmont, 7 p.m., Demorest, Georgia
Wednesday, Oct. 23 – Volleyball (Home) vs. Clark Atlanta, 7 p.m., Richter Gym
Category: College, Community, Events
Keywords: Honors, Festivities
