Herbert College of Agriculture Student Among Recipients
Ten seniors and recent graduates of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who have demonstrated academic excellence and a commitment to service and leadership have been named Torchbearers, the university’s highest student honor.
The recipients were surprised with the award through a surprise visit from either Chancellor Donde Plowman or a member of her cabinet. UT leadership — and a balloon sculpture of the university’s iconic torch — appeared in each room to honor the new Torchbearers alongside friends, classmates, professors and mentors during seemingly normal classes and club meetings.
The award reflects the university’s Volunteer Creed: “One that beareth a torch shadoweth oneself to give light to others.” Students selected as Torchbearers embody the Volunteer spirit, displaying initiative and service in the best interests of both the university and their fellow students.
Genesis Nolan of Dayton, Ohio, is among the recipients of the award. She is studying animal science with a bioscience concentration and a minor in entomology and plant pathology and will graduate in May. She is the inaugural president of the Multicultural Mentoring Program, which provides personal support, social guidance and positive campus survival skills to first-year students of color. She is also a member of Leadership Knoxville Scholars and the Global Citizens Program, and was involved in Emerging Leaders. Nolan represents UT as a Dean of Students Fellow, a Jones Center for Leadership and Service ambassador and a Vols in Student Affairs Program ambassador. She is a member of the Alpha Phi Omega national service organization. Off campus, Nolan volunteers with the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley and the Emerald Youth Foundation, and has previously served with the Native Plant Rescue Squad.
See also: UTK News