University of Arkansas graduating seniors Austin Axley Cole of Conway and Autumn Lewis of Joplin, Missouri, were recognized with the 2014 Senior Honor Citation during the Arkansas Alumni Association Board of Directors luncheon on May 9.
The Arkansas Alumni Association established the award 49 years ago to honor a senior male and female who exhibit outstanding academic achievement, campus and community involvement, and leadership. Students were required to be a member of the graduating class of 2014 (finishing degree requirements in August or December 2013 or May 2014.) The citation includes a personal memento, a $500 cash award, life membership in the Arkansas Alumni Association and permanent recognition on the student honor wall at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House.
Cole, the son of Andrew and Beverly Cole, said he knew he was entering the experience of a lifetime when he stepped onto the University of Arkansas campus in fall 2010. The honors biology major and finance minor said he considers his University of Arkansas education a blessing – a gift beyond anything he could ever have asked for, and far more enriching than the strict definition so many call an “education.”
His education will continue this summer as he attends the Jerusalem University College’s geological and archeological summer study program. For five weeks, Cole will undergo intensive training on the Bible, in-depth theological studies, hands-on daily site lessons and travels to historic locations, while immersing himself in the daily life and culture of Israel.
Cole will attend the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock this fall as part of an elite group of students who were granted early admittance.
While a student at the U of A, he completed two medical mission trips to remote western Belize, which further confirmed his desire to become a doctor.
Cole has seen the diversity and complex cultures of the world while traveling on a senior trip through mainland Europe, a Mediterranean cruise to various islands and ports, and multiple destinations in central Europe and Mexico. Cole said he has a devout aspiration to give whatever he can to the underprivileged around the world. Through his desire to become a physician, he added that he is driven to help others in giving his time, effort, finances, resources, ministry and sincere love for others.
Lewis, the daughter of Steve and Kathy Lewis, said she always knew she would pursue a career in politics, but it was her time at the University of Arkansas that convinced her that she specifically wanted to work on improving the United States education system. Through experiences inside and outside the classroom, she has developed a desire to ensure that every child is afforded an equal opportunity for a thorough and quality education. Ultimately, she hopes to serve in a leadership position at the U.S. Department of Education or an education-related nonprofit organization.
Her passion to work in education policy was sparked during her involvement with the Volunteer Action Center Literacy Program, which began when she volunteered at Leverett Elementary School as a reading mentor. As chair of the Literacy Program, she developed presentations for grants that led to the Literacy Program receiving more than $10,000 to implement the Scholastic R.E.A.L. Program, which allowed students to receive one book per month.
Lewis is an honors political science and economics major. She studied abroad in Japan for five weeks, where she noted the differences in education system structure between the United States and Japan. This experience further encouraged her to pursue changes to the current U.S. system, as she found initiatives proposed by education reformers in this country are being successfully employed in other nations.
The capstone of her collegiate experience was serving as an intern for Sen. Mark Pryor in Washington, D.C. During the internship, she applied her knowledge of education policy and politics to projects including representing the senator at briefings about after-school care and special education, tracking the progress of reauthorization proposals for No Child Left Behind and researching the economic impact of proposed education legislation. She will now return to Washington, D.C., to work for Pryor as a congressional assistant.
Both Cole and Lewis were chosen to serve on the 2013 U of A homecoming court and were active in the Associated Student Government throughout college. Most recently, Lewis served as chief of staff, while Cole served as secretary and director of athletic relations.
