Pearigen Award Winners 2007 - 2008



(Sarah Wilcox, Katrina Ivey, Dr. Pearigen, and Callie Osborne)

AUGUST 2007
Doran Bostwick ’08 of Waco, Texas is the August winner of the Pearigen Award for Commitment to Community.  A biology (pre-med) major and anthropology minor, Doran is currently applying to medical school with the hope of becoming a pediatrician.  Doran spent the summer of 2007 working as the PRE-Orientation Student Director.  In that role she helped to organize and manage a program that engaged nearly 200 first-year students and 80 upperclass student-staff in service activities, various trips (caving, hiking, and climbing) and camping before Orientation began in August.  Doran was an invaluable student staff member in this University program!  She has also been active in community service and outreach, both on and off of the domain.  At Sewanee, she has participated in:  Big People for Little People, Housing Sewanee, the Community Service Council, the AIDS walk, the Chattanooga Soup Kitchen, Senior Citizen outreach, and two spring break outreach trips to Jamaica (2005) and Haiti (2007).  During the summer of 2006, Doran spent time in Ghana working in medical clinics.  She spent some of her time working at the Reproductive Health Care Unit and other time assisting an NGO in the home patient care of AIDS patients.  Doran’s commitment to serving others is a wonderful example to all in our community.  Thanks Doran and Congratulations!

SEPTEMBER 2007
Caroline “Callie” Stokes Osborne ’10 of Sullivan’s Island, SC is the September 2007 winner of the Pearigen Award for Commitment to Community.  An art history major and women’s history minor, Callie plans to attend law school with the goal of becoming a public defender in the family courts.  Recently, Callie led Sewanee’s “Blitz Around the Clock”, a multi-hour work day for Housing Sewanee.  She coordinated the advertisements and schedules for this annual event, purchased tools and materials, arranged for refreshments for the volunteers, acquired door prizes and worked 8 hours at the house!  She was instrumental in the success of this service project organizing over 100 student volunteers!  In addition to her work with “Housing Sewanee Inc.” she is also involved with Big People for Little People (BPLP) and she has volunteered at Sewanee Elementary School.  Callie is a member of the Theta Kappa Phi sorority and she will be inducted into the Order of Gownsmen (OG) next week.  Congratulations Callie for being selected as the September 2007 Pearigen Award winner!

OCTOBER 2007
Martha “Katrina” Ivey ’08 of Marietta, GA is the October 2007 winner of the Pearigen Award for Commitment to Community.  As a part of Understanding Sexual Assault Week (USAW) sponsored by the Women’s Center, Katrina presented her “I CHOSE” campaign/art project to the campus community.  It featured the photographs of faculty, staff and students all bearing the “I chose” message (written in black magic marker on their person), and then a brief statement regarding their interpretation of the phrase.  Her photographs were displayed in hallways of the Bishop’s Common during USAW.   Katrina said the following about the project, “This is something that I hoped would touch the hearts of men, women, students, staff, victims and non-victims alike. Everybody has choices when it comes to sexual assault: choosing to ask, choosing to listen, or choosing to stand behind the victim.”  In addition to her work on this project, Katrina has been involved in other aspects of campus life.  She has worked at Stirling’s coffee house since her freshmen year, was the photo editor of The Purple for 2 years, served as an AP her sophomore year and a Proctor her junior year, was a member of the Track team, and is the current president of the Philosophy Club.  Katrina is a philosophy major who hopes to pursue a career as a high school creative writing teacher.  Congratulations Katrina and thanks for your work on the “I CHOSE” project!

NOVEMBER 2007
Sarah Elizabeth Wilcox ’08 of Birmingham, AL is the November 2007 winner of the Pearigen Award for Commitment to Community.  An English and Spanish double-major; Sarah hopes to pursue her dream of becoming a professional dancer; but eventually believes that she will contribute to the education of young people as a teacher.  In mid-November, The Perpetual Motion Dance Program (Sarah is a Co-President of Perpetual Motion) joined forces with Professor Pradip Malde’s Art 363: Documentary Projects in Photography class and Theatre Sewanee in order to produce a mixed media performance inspired by the colorful Haitian culture entitled Haiti: Before Knowing Remembers. Photographs of Haitian life accompanied a combination of classical ballet, modern, lyrical, and hip-hop choreography in order to present a cultural tour-de-force inspired by the people of Haiti.  All proceeds from the event went toward the Mango House project, which provides funds for the Organization for the Rehabilitation of the Environment (ORE), in order to finance similar agricultural projects in Haitian communities.  Her co-leader, Ashley Gallman, in Perpetual Motion stated, “The Haiti production is only a small example of the incredible amount of hard work and dedication Sarah pours into this community. Whether she is sending out a thousand e-mails or spending endless hours sorting through costumes, Sarah is willing to perform the most menial to the most overwhelming tasks in order to fulfill her commitment to the dance program and more generally to Sewanee.”  In addition to Perpetual Motion, Sarah teaches ballet for the Sewanee Conservatory, she is a member of the Order of the Gownsmen, a member of the Spanish Honor Society, the ADT Rush Chair, and during the summer of 2006 she studied Spanish grammar and art history in Madrid.  She has also been extremely active in Theater Sewanee, most recently playing a part in “Letters to Sala” written by Arlene Hutton. Congratulations Sarah!

JANUARY 2008
Bradley Joseph Waffa ’08 of Chapel Hill, NC is the January 2008 winner of the Pearigen Award for Commitment to Community.  A biology major, Brad hopes to become a veterinarian who specializes in parasitological and zoonotic disease; but his immediate post-graduate plans include completing a research project on box turtles that he began last semester on the Mountain.  Brad has co-authored and co-presented with Sewanee faculty on a variety of biological studies, including an article in a 2005 edition of Southeastern Biology.  Outside of the classroom, Brad has contributed to the community in the following ways: AP & Proctor in Cannon Hall, 3 year Residential Computing Consultant (RCC), Order of the Gownsmen, Sewanee Men Against Rape, Student Alumni Leadership Council (SALC), Sewanee Health Professions Society, College Libertarians of the University of the South, Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, Sewanee Cycling Team, Sewanee Equestrian Team, and SOP trip-leader. Brad is also a licensed Emergency Medical Technician.  Eric Hartman, dean of students, said the following about Brad’s leadership, “I discovered that Brad was more than an accomplished student leader when immediately following a tedious racial incident that culminated in a mandatory residence hall meeting, he began to challenge the group’s silence.  It became clear that his peers seek his insight and advice in mediating complicated situations. Moreover, his leadership has transformed the facility and the experience from an environment entrenched with abusive tendencies to one of good humor and mature citizenship.”  Congratulations Brad! 


FEBRUARY 2008
Jennifer Ladi Juma C’2010 from Abuja, Nigeria is the February 2008 winner of the Pearigen Award for Commitment to Community.  Just recently, Jennifer coordinated Sewanee’s first African Week entitled “Contemporary Africa: A celebration of People and Culture.” The purpose of the week was to give credence to the positive aspects of the continent of Africa and to share with the Sewanee Community Africa through the eyes of its African students. She successfully chaired a committee made up of students, faculty and staff. The week included select coffees from various regions of Africa served at McClurg and Stirling’s; the sampling of a variety of African cuisines throughout the week in McClurg by the campus; an engaged and vibrant student panel on their personal views of Africa; the chance to learn about study abroad opportunities in Africa; a viewing of the 2006 Academy Award winning movie, Tsotsi; participation in a Drum Circle focused on learning about African Dance and Music; and enjoying a well attended African Culture Night that boasted a program that included poetry, song, a slide show highlighting key African leaders and celebrities all the while enjoying cuisines from different regions of Africa prepared by student members of the committee. The Culture night also brought African children between the ages of 8-12 currently living in the Chattanooga area to Sewanee.  Dr. Elwood Dunn, Professor of Political Science and African Week committee member describes Jennifer as "a demonstrated Sewanee student leader without a doubt, but also a natural leader in the making. I expect to hear much more about this young African woman in the future." Only a sophomore, Jennifer has already made significant contributions to the Sewanee Community. She serves as an Assistant Proctor and has recently been selected to be a University Proctor, a Student Caller for the Office of Annual Giving, Treasurer for the Organization for Cross Cultural Unity, a member of SPECE (Students for Positive Extracurricular Engagement) helping to coordinate alcohol awareness and substance free events on campus, a member of the Sewanee Society of Scholars, Communications Co-chair for the Women’s Center Board, a participant in Perpetual Motion and Multicultural Outreach Board member for the Admission Office. She has participated in Outreach trips to New Orleans, Louisiana and Shake-a-leg Island, Florida. In the summer of 2007, Jennifer served as a marketing intern in the Guaranty Trust Bank in Abuja, Nigeria, one of the largest financial institutions in Africa.  Jennifer is an Economics major and hopes to pursue a career in marketing.  Congratulations Jennifer and thank you for bringing African Week to Sewanee!  

March 2008
Callie Elizabeth Flowers of Columbus, MS is the March 2008 winner of the Pearigen Award for Commitment to Community. A senior religion major, Callie plans to attend graduate school at the University of Mississippi, pursuing a Master’s degree in Southern Studies. Callie’s focus will be Religion and Food. This focus is no surprise to her Sewanee community, where Callie has pursued an active mission of helping our community reflect and act on the ethical issues surrounding our consumption of food. She first developed an awareness of the issues and a desire to make some changes while teaching English in Ghana and taking Professor Txell Martin-i-Pardo’s class in Religion and Food.. Now, Callie works in our local farmer’s market, excels as a student of religion and environmental and social justice, and effectively advocates for change. Specifically, Callie has been working actively in support of our dining services in this regard. As part of her work for Professor Sid Brown’s class in Religious Environmentalism, Callie prepared a feasibility study for including greater amounts of local food in the offerings of Aramark on campus. Keith Davis, who manages the dining services says of Callie, ”I have had the privilege of working with several dedicated and environmentally conscious students, but one truly stands out, Callie Flowers. She has put 150% more into this project than any other student.  It has been a great experience working with Callie to achieve our goal of a more sustainable dining program.” In support of her nomination for a Pearigen Award, Professor Brown said, that Callie is “working straight from her heart and getting a lot of work done. Her level of commitment is just superb.” While .in Ghana, Callie became motivated to reevaluate and alter her own culture’s consumption of so much without really being connected to or even aware of the production of the goods we consume.  Though she says that the passion for addressing this disconnect is “her life,” it is clear that Callie does even more for our community. She is also a Lilly Scholar, a member of the Student Alumni Leadership Council and a Canale Intern. Callie has also served as an Assistant Proctor, member of the University Orchestra and Youth League Basketball Coach.  Callie extends her service beyond the domain, as well. For example, in the summer of 2007, she was a Camp Counselor and helped to create a 5 year sustainability plan for the camp. Congratulations, Callie! And thank you for shining a light both on our current situation and leading us forward as a community. 
 
April 2008

Julia Alexandra Wilson, “Julie,” of McLean, Virginia is the April 2008 co-winner of the Pearigen Award for Commitment to Community. As a junior Psychology major and Education minor, Julie is already serving the community in her field of choice, education. She is a Canale Intern at Grundy County High School, working as a college counselor in an environment where only a small percentage of students have considered pursuing college after graduation. Julie met a Grundy County High School student, who thought college was impossible due to her family’s limited income. Through her relationship with this student, Julie realized that other students also needed more information about the opportunities available to them to further their education. She developed relationships at the high school and established a college counseling program there, with early morning office hours that meant Julie would leave Sewanee by 6:00 a.m. two days a week to be available to students who wanted to meet with her. Though early on, she was frustrated by the small number of students who sought her help, she persisted and used creative approaches, such as buying students 100 biscuits and orange juice before the ACT, to show her concern for them. By the spring, Julie planned a trip to MTSU, in which she hosted a bus load of over 40 high-school students on a campus visit. Julie’s tremendous level of commitment at Grundy County High School has not hindered her investment in academics and in Sewanee. Julie has recently received honors through her induction into Psi Chi Honor Society for Psychology and Omicron Delta Kappa Circle for leadership and scholarship. She can be seen all over the community from the field hockey team, to the Miami and Ecuador Outreach trips, Community Action Committee, Housing Sewanee, senior citizens outreach, as well as in her sorority’s activities. Fellow student, Peyton Hutchins, said, “Julie puts her whole heart into everything she does and is passionate about it. She has a genuine interest in the community around her.”  The wonderful way Julie’s extension of herself within and beyond Sewanee continues to fuel her work is demonstrated in her service in Cape Town, South Africa, which she says was life changing for her and one of the primary reasons she is so involved at Sewanee. In Cape Town last summer she taught English, Art and Math to 8th and 9th grade students and computer literacy courses to unemployed adults.  Even as she was helping others in South Africa, the seeds of her Grundy County High School work were beginning to grow. Robin Hille Michaels says, “Julie has vision and initiative. That combined with her openness and unassuming nature has made her work at Grundy County High School immensely successful. She single-handedly saw and tackled what can be considered the greatest challenge to the future of GC students, the lack of a college counselor to help students apply for college, scholarships and financial aid.  Her work there will have a life-long impact on the students she helps, and her presence is changing the way Grundy County sees Sewanee and our students.” Julie, your work at Grundy County High and your many contributions within Sewanee are helping us also to see ourselves differently. You provide a vision of what we can do as individuals and as a community. Thank you. Congratulations on your selection to be a Pearigen Award winner!
 
 
William Sealy Hutchings, known to us as Hutch, of Austin, Texas is the April 2008 co-winner of the Pearigen Award for Commitment to Community. Professor Mike Braden sums up the character of this campus leader by saying, “Hutch is the personification of the word amiable and is undaunted by a challenge!” An Economics major with a penchant for Spanish, Hutch hopes to combine his interests in law and business in a career in sports management. “Sports” and “Management” definitely come to mind when describing Hutch.  Hutch plays varsity football and leads his peers off the field as well. He has spearheaded the football team’s effort to read to and work with elementary school children at Sewanee Elementary School for the entire 2007-2008 school year. Each week Hutch and his team spend time with students on Thursdays and Fridays, usually for two hours each day. They try to spend time with nine different classes, talking about Sewanee football and other topics, as well as reading books that the teachers generally select for them to read to the class.  They hosted more than 80 elementary students for Treats at their Halloween football practice. Their continuous presence at the school has shown their commitment to these younger students.  Ann Seiters, a teacher for the third grade says, “Hutch is fabulous and very deserving of this recognition.” Third grader Austin Payne said "That is the first time a football player read to me." Other elementary students said “He brought  many friends.” and "His enthusiasm for reading made us want to read more." They also said they felt like "Hutch is our friend. He comes because he wants to. He does it for fun!" As a sophomore, Hutch has already inspired others with his kindness, persistence and dedication to his peers and to those he mentors at SAS. Congratulations, Hutch! We all look forward to the ways you will continue to contribute to our community as a student and later as an alumnus. Thank you for all that you do and for calling out a similar contribution from each of us. Thank you for your leadership!