2024 Scovill Award Winners

Julia Funck

Julia Funck

Junior

Instrumental Music Performance, Clarinet

Top five accomplishments at Millikin:

  • Being a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
  • Serving as an intern at the National Music Festival in Chestertown, Maryland
  • Representing Millikin University in the Illinois Symphony Orchestra
  • Serving as a teacher and mentor through the Millikin Community Arts Academy
  • Being selected as a winner of the Millikin Decatur Symphony Orchestra Concerto/Aria Competition

 

Helena Hashimoto

Helena Hashimoto

Junior

Philosophy & Communication, minoring in Organizational Leadership & Theatre

Top five accomplishments at Millikin:

  • Serving as President of the Student Honors Advisory Council
  • Serving as a Resident Assistant for the Honors floor with the Office of Campus Life
  • Working as a House Manager at Kirkland Fine Arts Center
  • Serving in Public Relations and Administration for Dissonance A Capella
  • Working as the Promotion Manager for 89.5 WJMU “The Quad”

 

Kelsey Jacobs

Kelsey Jacobs

Junior

Psychology, with a concentration in Clinical Psychology and a minor in Biology

Top five accomplishments at Millikin:

  • Being principal investigator of a research project as a sophomore
  • Being nominated for the Scovill Prize
  • Working as a senior Student Experience Ambassador
  • Serving on the Executive Council for Pi Beta Phi
  • Presenting research at the Midwestern Psychological Association Conference

 

Kendra Jellison

Kendra Jellison

Junior

Music Education with an Instrumental emphasis

Top five accomplishments at Millikin:

  • Being an Illinois Golden Apple Scholar
  • Serving as Stage Manager at Kirkland Fine Arts Center
  • Serving as Student Conductor for the Millikin Symphonic Wind Ensemble
  • Advocating for more tools and resources for teachers in Southern Illinois
  • Participating in the Illinois Music Educators Conference in Peoria as clarinetist and conductor

 

Rebekah Leipold

Rebekah Leipold

Senior

Theatre and Performance Studies

Top five accomplishments at Millikin:

  • Serving as Vice President of Gregory, a tap dancing group at Millikin University
  • Serving as Pledge Charge for Alpha Psi Omega
  • Being a James Millikin Honors Scholar
  • Her work in the 2024 School for Theatre & Dance Bachelor of Arts capstone course
  • Serving as a Resident Assistant

 

Abigail Mendoza

Abigail Mendoza

Junior

Design and Production, with an emphasis in Technical Direction

Top five accomplishments at Millikin:

  • Serving as Vice President and Treasurer of the Iota Delta Chapter of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority Incorporated
  • Being selected to be a Long-Vanderburg Scholar
  • Serving as the Assistant Technical Director for The Spell of Red River
  • Serving as Treasurer for the Millikin chapter of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology
  • Being a member of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society

 

Maggie Schrage

Maggie Schrage

Junior

Political Science & Philosophy

Top five accomplishments at Millikin:

  • Being a John C. Griswold Presidential Scholar
  • Serving as President of Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society
  • Receiving Dean’s List honors every semester
  • Serving as a Student Experience Ambassador
  • Being a member of the Millikin University Women’s Basketball team

 

Olivia Swords

Olivia Swords

Junior

English, History, and Philosophy on a Pre-Law track

Top five accomplishments at Millikin:

  • Being a Presidential and Honors Scholar as a triple major with High Dean’s List honors
  • Receiving awards as the state champion in the Model Illinois Government Moot Court competition, the 2023 Most Outstanding Attorney and the 2024 John Williams Award for Most Outstanding Moot Court Team
  • Receiving previous Millikin University Honors Convocation awards such as the T.S. Samuels Pre-Law Award, T.W. Adney Pre-Law Award, and the Grace Patten Conant Award for Literary Creation
  • Being involved on campus as a student-athlete on Millikin University’s Cheerleading team, a three-year tutor in the Writing Center, serving as the Vice President of the Student Honors Advisory Council, and being the founder of Education Imperative, an initiative designed to educate young voters on environmental issues
  • Serving as a team advisor at Yale University and the University of Miami for students in law & advocacy and leadership & service summer programs.