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Honoring Leadership, Character, Service
George Washington Medal winner Maddie Zins is escorted to the platform by the General,
himself.CHESTERTOWN, MD—General George Washington made his annual visit to Chestertown to
bestow his eponymous medal, which this year went to Madelyn Nicole “Maddie” Zins,
an English and Environmental Studies double major from Ellicott City. The prestigious
George Washington Medal recognizes “the senior who shows the greatest promise of understanding and realizing
in life and work the ideals of a liberal education.”
After congratulating Zins, Washington, portrayed by actor Dean Malissa, took to the lectern to share his wisdom with the Class of 2015, urging them to seek role models who can help them create meaningful lives and contribute to society.
The Washington Medal is one of five awards that are voted on by the entire faculty rather than by a single department or honor society. The four other such awards and their winners were as follows:
The Louis L. Goldstein ’35 Award, “to a graduating senior who, in the opinion of the faculty, has demonstrated unusual interest, enthusiasm and potential in the field of public affairs,” went to Alison Marie Percich.
The Eugene B. Casey Medal, “to a senior woman voted by the faculty to be outstanding in the qualities of scholarship, character, leadership and campus citizenship,” went to two students: Sarah Florence Giordano and Mariel Ann Shilling.
Connor Harrison receives the Catlin Medal.Henry W.C. Catlin 1894 Medal, “to a senior man voted by the faculty to be outstanding in the qualities of scholarship,
character, leadership and campus citizenship,” went to Connor Bradford Harrison.
The Clark-Porter Medal, created by Charles B. Clark ’34 in memory of Harry B. Porter, Class of 1905, to recognize, “the student whose character and personal integrity, in the opinion of the faculty, have most clearly enhanced the quality of campus life,” went to Misbath Daouda.
The names of these recipients will be added to plaques in William Smith Hall and become part of the College’s history.
Other top awards announced at Commencement included the Jane Huston Goodfellow Memorial Prize, “to a graduating senior, majoring in science, who has an abiding appreciation of the arts and humanities and has shown scholastic excellence.” It was shared by Kelly Elizabeth Bird and Paige Katherine Kube.
Kelly Bird shared the Goodfellow Memorial Prize with Paige Kube.The Gold Pentagon Awards, “to a senior and to one alumnus, faculty or friend of the college, selected by the
Washington College chapter of the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society in
recognition of meritorious service to Washington College,” went to senior Maria Rose Hynson and faculty member Terrence H. Scout.
The Sophie Kerr Prize for literary ability and promise, in the form of a check for $62,900, went to Alexander Vidiani. Dean Chamlee-Wright also recognized the other five finalists for this year’s Prize, the largest student literary prize in the country: Julia Armstrong, Valerie Dunn, Ariel Jicha, Paige Kube, and Sydney Sznajder. Vidiani was announced the winner at a special event May 15, where writer Peter Turchi ’82 delivered the keynote remarks and the finalists read from their Prize portfolios.
