Published May 6, 2024
CAPTION: ULM Honors program students Grace Gunder (left) and Beau Benoit hosted the annual
Honors Banquet on April 29, 2024.
MONROE, LA – The ULM Honors program held its annual Honors Banquet at ULM’s Bayou Pointe Event
Center on April 29, 2024.The Honors Program recognized eleven students graduating with honors in the college,
four students graduating with honors in the university, and three students who completed
all undergraduate requirements and will enter ULM’s Pharmacy program.
Students graduating from honors in the college must complete 20 hours of honors coursework,
complete independent honors research, and maintain a 3.4 GPA or higher. Those eleven
students graduating with Honors in the College were Jordyn Eaton (Salt Lake City,
UT - computer science), Jenna Etheridge (Monroe, LA – biology), Grace Gunder (Elizabeth,
LA - biology), Loren Higginbotham (Slaughter, LA – biology), Hannah Jones (Sterlington,
LA – biology), Mehek Lamsal (Kathmandu, Nepal – accounting), Prasansha Paudel (Kathmandu,
Nepal – computer science), Yana Paudel (Bhaktapur, Nepal – computer science and mathematics), Rachel
Robertson (West Monroe, LA - psychology), Kiauna Rollins (Baker, LA - marketing),
Alden Sonnier (Bunkie, LA - medical laboratory sciences).
Students graduating from honors in the university must complete 22 hours of honors
coursework, complete independent honors research, write a thesis, and maintain a 3.5
GPA or higher. Elisa Castillion, a biology major from Metairie, LA, was recognized
for her thesis, “The Transparency of Neonatal Testing in Louisiana.” Taylor Brinson,
a psychology major from West Monroe, LA, was recognized for her thesis, “Risk Propensity and Sensation-Seeking Behavior Differences Between Genders.” Brinson will pursue a Masters of Biomedical Sciences with a Neuroscience concentration
and attend MD Anderson in Houston, TX. Sarah Broadway, a criminal justice major from
West Monroe, LA, was recognized for her thesis, “Illuminating Myth: Exploring Orpheus
and Eurydice Through Cut Paper Light Boxes.” Caitlyn Cullen, a political science major
from Vacherie, LA, was recognized for her thesis, “The Susceptibility of Different Groups of Individuals to Join Christian Nationalist
Ideology.”
Three students were recognized for completing the requirements for honors in the college
and will enter the Pharmacy graduate program in the Fall. They were Kaitlyn Apperley
(Monroe, LA), Tierney Gammage (Monroe, LA), and Abigail Yelverton (Rayville, LA).
The ULM Honors Program also recognized outstanding faculty and students. The Faculty
of the Year Award went to Dr. Patrick Morgan, assistant professor of English, in recognition
for his exemplary record of teaching honors students in honors courses.
The recipient for the Jordan Faith Bass Freshman of the Year Award was Noah Stephan,
a biology major from Monroe, LA; the Sophomore of the Year was Nishu Shrestha, a computer
science from Nepal; the Junior of the Year was Shreya Adhikari, a nursing major from
Nepal, the Senior of the Year was Caitlyn Cullen, a political science major from Vacherie,
LA. The honors program also awards a student of the year. The Student of the Year
Award is given to the student who best exemplifies the ideals of the ULM Honors Program
through excellence in scholarship, high moral character, and outstanding service to
the honors program and university. Grace Gunder, a senior biology student from Vacherie,
LA was the recipient.
Dr. Joshua Stockley, director of the ULM Honors Program, in brief remarks to those
in attendance, said “You are all simply amazing, amazing, amazing individuals – persistent,
gritty, resilient, creative, funny, intelligent, hardworking, determined, empathetic,
supportive, motivated, leaders – you are all these things. And, word has travelled.
Your acceptance into prestigious schools and employment for elite companies combined
with a record number of applications for the 2024 academic year demonstrate that people
know about the excellence of the ULM Honors Program and the University of Louisiana
Monroe. You reaffirm President Berry’s insistence that ‘we are the best in the world
at what we do.’”
About the ULM Honors Program
The ULM Honors Program is a unique program within ULM that seeks any intellectually
curious student who desires to challenge themselves with new ideas and to work with
similarly motivated students. The program is open to any student of any major. Honors
students are exposed to more in-depth topics and work closely with faculty in smaller
courses.
For more information about the Honors Program contact Dr. Joshua Stockley at stockley@ulm.edu or 318-342-3216 or visit ulm.edu/honors.
