Members of Christendom’s Class of 2024 were honored with academic, athletic, and community achievement awards on Wednesday, May 1, during the college’s annual Senior Awards Luncheon. The event honored the best and brightest of the class, recognizing individuals for their contributions to the Christendom community.
The Student Activities Council’s (SAC) Joe McGlynn Award for Service was given to Alex Evans. Demonstrating leadership and hard work on hundreds of college events, Evans exemplified the selfless giving spirit that is a trademark of Christendom’s SAC.
The Crusader Leadership Award was given to John Paul Vander Woude for his exemplary contributions to the college’s athletics department. He was an important leader both on and off the court during his time at Christendom, competing for the college in varsity basketball. Vander Woude leaves behind an incredible legacy with the team, including scoring over 1,000 points in his Christendom career.
Five of the college’s academic departments also honored seniors with awards.
The English Language and Literature Department’s Robert C. Rice Award for Outstanding English Language and Literature Major was awarded to Laura Sigler, who distinguished herself through outstanding scholarship, collegiality, and written success. Her thesis topic, “Aestheticism in The Picture of Dorian Gray,” is a prime example of her outstanding work.
For the Philosophy Department’s Outstanding Senior Philosophy Major Award, Daniel O’Hara was recognized for his thesis: “Between Being and Nothingness: The Status Viatoris as the Ontological Condition of Human Moral Existence.”
The History Department’s Warren H. Carroll Award for Outstanding Senior History Thesis was given to Aidan Moorehouse. His thesis “‘Empire in Denial: The United States, the Gulf War, and the Dilemmas of Power in a Unipolar World,” exemplified the historical scholarship standard set by Christendom’s founder, Dr. Warren Carroll.
Monica Nachtegall was awarded the Theology Department’s William H. Marshner Award for her thesis titled “You Shall Know the Truth and the Truth Shall Make You Odd”: An Analysis of Whether it is Ever Morally Permissible to Lie. She was also awarded the Classics and Early Christian Studies Department’s St. Jerome Award for Greek and Latin Scholarship for her thesis on “Understanding the Trinity Through Granville Sharp’s Rule.”
Finally, the Political Science and Economics Department awarded Annie Chavez the department’s St. Thomas More Award for her thesis, “A Family’s Impact on Personal Political Philosophy: A Critical Analysis of the Writings of Hobbes and Locke.”
The annual Awards Luncheon is held to recognize the best and brightest of each graduating class at Christendom College, acknowledging their academic and leadership achievements before the entire Christendom community.