Gwenn Noel, vice president of student life, with award winners Braeden Boyle, Hannah Parson, Sadie Flagg, Emerson Heckler, Nyila Johnson and Provost Dr. Daniel Erb. Not pictured are Ryan Polidoro and Hannah Tameling.
HIGH POINT, N.C., May 8, 2024 – High Point University recognized the outstanding achievements of students in their academic pursuits, through campus leadership and within the community during Honors and Scholars Day ceremonies on April 16.
Several exemplary students were presented University Awards for their scholarly achievements, character, leadership, service and overall impact at HPU.
Among the awards, five standout students received outstanding senior recognitions:
Sadie Flagg Received the University Award for Achievement
Flagg, a chemistry major and Honors Scholar from Ashland, Virginia, will be attending Georgia Tech to pursue a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, with a focus on energy technology.
Flagg jumped into faculty-mentored undergraduate research during her freshman year, leading to her first authored paper entitled, “Understanding the Origin of Micro/Nanoporous Thin Films of PMMA,” in the 2023 Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. Additionally, she has presented at four conferences, including the American Chemical Society’s spring 2022 and 2023 conferences.
With a cumulative GPA of 3.95, Flagg was accepted for a summer 2023 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at the University of California-Santa Barbara in advanced materials science. She was selected as the third student ever from HPU as a Barry Goldwater Scholarship recipient in 2023.
“Sadie is one of the top-five science students we have graduated from HPU in the past decade and is richly deserving of this recognition,” Dr. Brian Augustine, dean of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences, said in his nomination of Flagg.
Outside of the classroom and research, Flagg is involved in Alpha Chi Sigma, the Botany Club and HPU’s Student Government Association.
Emerson Heckler Received the University Award for Achievement
As a neuroscience major from Mooresville, North Carolina, Heckler has been accepted to medical schools at several top universities, including Dartmouth, Wake Forest and Virginia Commonwealth, to study OB-GYN medicine with a focus on reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She scored in the 90th percentile on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and has a 4.0 cumulative GPA, a testament to her comprehensive understanding of the sciences and readiness.
As a Natural Science Fellow and inaugural president of the Wanek School of Natural Sciences Student Advisory Board, Heckler is known for her leadership, enthusiasm and community building.
“Not only does Emerson exemplify leadership and scholarship but is a model student-mentor for other pre-professional health students,” Augustine said.
Heckler immersed herself in faculty-mentored research beginning with the HPU Research Rookies program and being accepted into two HPU summer research experiences, the Summer Undergraduate Research Institution (SURI) and Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). This spring, she was named the 2024 Elizabeth Miller Strickland Trailblazer award winner and a 2023-2024 Goldston Scholarship finalist.
Outside of the classroom, she is an active member of Alpha Phi Omega and volunteers with community organizations, notably the High Point Community Clinic and HorsePOWER, a therapeutic learning center for children with disabilities.
Hannah Parson Received the University Award for Citizenship
Parson, a senior political science and English double major from Champions Gate, Florida, will attend Washington University School of Law in St. Louis with a focus on public policy as a recipient of the full-tuition Dean’s Fellowship.
Upon arriving to campus, Parson had a vision of success and significance both in and outside of the classroom for her time at HPU. As a member of the Honors Scholar Program with a 3.98 cumulative GPA, she was recognized as a Junior Marshal and has conducted independent research projects in both political science and English. During High-PURCS 2024, Parson presented her senior thesis, an analysis of contemporary forms of anti-Black racial animus in the United States.
Dr. Mark Setzler, professor of political science, said in his nomination, “Hannah’s leadership accomplishments and abilities stand out not only from her current HPU peers but from a generation of HPU graduates before her, including our department’s alumnae who have become professors, congressional chiefs of staff, and top-level staffers in the State Department and White House.”
Parson has made a positive impact on campus through the Student Government Association, notably as HPU’s first African American female student body president for the 2023-2024 academic year. She has contributed countless hours of volunteer service to community organizations, such as SPCA, West End Ministries and the LEAP (Literacy Empowers All People) after-school program through Alpha Phi Omega.
Braeden Boyle Received the University Award for Leadership
A leader inspires change through action, and Boyle centered his involvement as a leader at HPU around philanthropy, community engagement and service. After graduation with a degree in business administration, he plans to enter the health care management industry.
Boyle is a natural leader who has impacted HPU through his leadership in service. His greatest influence can be seen through Fraternity and Sorority Life, where Boyle is a member of Beta Theta Pi, served as a two-term Inter-Fraternity Council President and was a Resident Assistant in the Greek Village for three years.
“Braeden has truly changed the way our Fraternity and Sorority Community interacts with each other and elevates any student he interacts with,” Madison Simmons, director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, said in her nomination of Boyle.
Through the Student Government Association, Boyle has demonstrated his leadership as president for the Class of 2024, the centennial class at HPHU. Additionally, he devoted countless hours to the Office of Community Standards as a student justice and associate chief justice. His mission to positively influence the HPU culture through unity can be seen from his leadership in planning the fall 2023 student concert featuring Flo Rida and as captain of the spirit committee for HPU basketball games during the 2023-2024 season.
Nyila Johnson Received the University Award for Service
Johnson, an entrepreneurship major from Jamestown, North Carolina, will serve as an AmeriCorps VISTA with HPU partnering with D-Up, a local nonprofit organization aimed to combat childhood obesity. Concurrently, she will be earning her Master of Arts degree in Communication and Business Leadership from HPU.
With a profound belief in the power of service to effect positive change within one’s community, Johnson has devoted countless hours to both HPU and local High Point communities. With Johnson serving as president of the HPU Volunteer Center, HPU was recognized with a first-place honor and a $5,000 grant for local food banks in the Collegiate Hunger Challenge. She advocates for and encourages initiatives aimed at addressing critical societal issues, leading to her recognition with the Exceptional Service Award by the Student Government Association. She is a student employee with the HPU Center for Community Engagement and an active volunteer in many of their community-based programs.
“Nyila’s legacy of excellence and service-oriented leadership embody the core values and mission of High Point University, making her a deserving recipient of this esteemed honor,” Lovelle McMichael, assistant director for the Center for Community Engagement, said in his nomination of Johnson.
Across campus, Johnson devotes time as a member of the Black Student Union, Black Cultural Awareness and VOICE advisory board. She served as drum major with the HPU marching band for two years.
Ryan Polidoro Received the University Community Impact Award
Polidoro earned the award that recognizes an HPU senior who demonstrated leadership to their respective class, selfless service to the campus community, superior academic achievement and positive impact.
Polidoro, a senior marketing major with a minor in event management from East Islip, New York, has impacted the HPU campus community over the past four years. He has led and produced stellar university events, where he creates opportunities for students to become more involved on campus. His leadership as president of the Campus Activities Team enabled the team to host multiple professional and experiential campus-wide events, such as LIVE at High Point University featuring Flo Rida, Winter Wonderland and an Earth Day Celebration. Always seeking to learn, he has helped with ticketing, production, guest services and ushering.
Polidoro was elected as a Class of 2024 officer, notably leading many of the class events throughout the year. A Business Fellow, he completed an internship with ASM Global at Wake Forest and plans to enter the professional event management industry after graduation.
Hannah Tameling Received the Outstanding Servant Leader Award
Tameling was recognized for exemplifying service to others through her leadership, empathy, stewardship and commitment to holistic growth of the entire community.
Tameling embodies the qualities of a servant leader, both in and outside of the classroom at HPU. As a psychology and Spanish double major from Wheaton, Illinois, she has served the campus community in a variety of roles, notably this past year as the SGA vice president and speaker of the senate. Leading with grace, a positive spirit and caring for others has gained her respect among the more than 130 campus organizations in SGA as a member of the executive cabinet over the past three years.
Her leadership extends into the Honors Scholar Program, Psi Chi psychology honor society and the Petal Points acapella group. After graduation, Tameling plans to pursue her Ph.D. in clinical psychology with a specialization in trauma.