On April 19, 2026, JMC Department faculty and friends gathered on the first floor of Wilson Hall for the annual celebration of our department’s outstanding seniors, plus several other notable achievements.
Department Chair Dr. Kevin Qualls opened the ceremony. Next, each of the Curriculum Coordinators took to the podium to sing the well-deserved praises of this year’s crop of senior superlatives. Award winners included:
2026 Robert J. Norsworthy Outstanding Senior in Advertising
Charlie Jury
2026 Outstanding Senior in Graphic Communications Media
Elisha Butryn
2026 Outstanding Senior in Journalism
Mackenzie Rogers
2026 Outstanding Senior in Public Relations
Jada Poindexter
2026 Outstanding Senior in Television Production
Ayden Dick
2026 Outstanding Graduate Student
Dixie Lynn
2026 PRSSA MVP Award (Most Valuable Professional)
Natalie Gardner
2026 KTA (Kappa Tau Alpha) Initiates (Top 10% by GPA):
Top Scholar – Gretchen Beatty 4.0 GPA
Top Scholar – Jada Poindexter 4.0 GPA
Pictured above, right to left: Gretchen Beatty, Jada Poindexter, Charlie Jury, Mackenzie Rogers, Ayden Dick, Dixie Lynn and Natalie Gardner.
