"West Texas A&M University’s top student accolades were presented during the University Honors Banquet Friday, April 20 at the Jack B. Kelley Student Center, Legacy Hall on campus.
Micah Davidson and Jalee Blackwell were named WTAMU’s Man and Woman of the Year for 2017-2018, and three student groups were honored by inclusion in the prestigious Presidential Order of the Silver Buffalo. The men’s basketball team also was recognized with a Presidential Proclamation for its history-making appearance at the NCAA Division II Final Four.
Davidson, a senior agricultural education major from Valley View. He was nominated for the Man of the Year honor by the WTAMU Student Government Association.
Blackwell is a senior international business major from Rockwall. She was nominated for the Woman of the Year honor by Enactus, Society of Human Resource Management, the Economics Club and Mortar Board.
Silver Buffalo Awards are reserved for an elite group that includes only individuals, teams or organizations whose accomplishments have brought national honor and distinction to the University. This year’s honors went to the women’s outdoor track and field team, the CFA Research Challenge team and the cast and crew of the theatre department’s production of Brooklyn: the Musical.
The women’s outdoor track and field team earned the coveted title of 2017 NCAA Division II National Track and Field Champions and finished the championship with two school records along with four individual/relay national champions and 10 All-Americans.
The CFA Research Challenge team won the 2017 Southwest U.S. Championship and the right to advance to 2017 CFA Research Challenge Americas, where it finished as a top five team in the nation and top 10 among universities in North and South America. The WT team competed against 53 regional championship teams from across the country through presentations and Q&A panels about equity investments and the effects of macroeconomic and industry factors on stock prices.
The cast and crew of Brooklyn: the Musical received six national awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in recognition of its outstanding work at the Region VI showcase. The six national awards included Distinguished Production of a Musical; Distinguished Ensemble of a Musical; Distinguished Direction by Andrew Barratt Lewis, Distinguished Choreography by Crystal Bertrand; Outstanding Actor Performance by Caleb Summers; and Outstanding Actress Performance by Laurel Smalley. The production also earned several awards at the regional level."
-West Texas A&M University
Photo by WTAMU