Jewell names faculty award winners
04/26/2025
McKinzie Thompson and Ben Wardlow are co-winners of Jewell’s Faculty Award, the most significant distinction offered a graduating senior. The finalists must have spent at least three years at William Jewell College and have a grade point average of 3.75 or higher. Winners are chosen based on academic achievement and exemplification of the highest ideals of a liberal arts education following an essay submission and interview process. The two winners and three finalists were recognized at Jewell’s Honors Convocation ceremony on April 25.
McKinzie Thompson, Rogersville, will graduate magna cum laude with degrees in political science and history. She will attend Texas A&M – Bush School DC to pursue a master's in national security and intelligence. The Academic All-GLVC volleyball player is an Honors Institute in Critical Thinking Fellow and Historical Review lead editor. Some of her campus activities include Alpha Gamma Delta sorority officer, Hilltop Technologies cybersecurity intern, Pi Sigma Alpha and Mortar Board honor societies, Historical Society, Student Senate, Honor Council, and a researcher for the Slavery, Memory and Justice Project.
Ben Wardlow, Joplin, has been accepted to St. Antony's College, University of Oxford, where he'll pursue a master's degree in global and area studies. As an Oxbridge Institutions and Policy major, Ben studied philosophy (his second Jewell major), politics and law at Oxford University, Mansfield College, and was part of a University record-setting relay team on the Swim Club. At Jewell, he's a member of Phi Epsilon (top 10% of his class), College Union Activities, a Student Senate senator and past president, Cardinal Host, Cardinal Blazer and former member of the swim team. He's also a legal assistant for a law firm, a Hilltop Technologies intern, a National Humanities Leadership Council Fellow, Missouri Governor’s Student Leadership Forum participant and a past Missouri Supreme Court legal intern.
The Finalists:
Allie Hillman, a Liberty North High School valedictorian, is an English/secondary education major who will pursue a master's degree in the library science field. She is a member of Sigma Tau Delta English honor society, Kappa Delta Pi education honor society, Phi Epsilon Honor Society (top 10% of her class), Concert Choir and managing editor of Jewell's student-produced literary magazine, Inscape. She will graduate summa cum laude.
Ayomide Oluwadamilare “Dammy” Idowu of Overland Park, Kansas, is a double major in data science and Oxbridge Institutions and Policy and will graduate magna cum laude. Jewell’s Homecoming queen is also Student Senate president and a member of Mortar Board honor society and Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. Idowu is moving to Chicago after graduation and plans to start her career as a data analyst.
Samantha Thompson is headed to medical school at Oklahoma State University. The Rogersville native and biochemistry major is a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and several honor societies: Mortar Board, Pre-Health, Tri-Beta (biology) and Phi Epsilon (top 10% of her class). Samantha also earned recognition through the Cardinal volleyball team, including Academic All-Conference, Academic All-District, two-time GLVC Bro. James Gaffney Distinguished Scholar and the 2023-24 Jewell Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.