Mississippi State University is now accepting applications for the 2010 Spirit of State Awards, the school’s highest student awards. The award is open to students who have made outstanding contributions to MSU and best represent the ‘Spirit of State.’ Students may apply for the award or be nominated by MSU faculty, staff or a fellow student.
Vice President for Student Affairs Bill Kibler said the award is different than a leadership award.
“The award is to recognize students that represent the spirit of MSU through service, through achievement, through leadership, through selflessness, through support of their school, etc.,” Kibler said. “Generally about 22-23 awards are given each year. The most that have been given is 25 – the least 19.”
Kibler said there is not a set number of students to receive the award and ultimately it is the quality of the students nominated and considered by the selection committee that determines the final number of awards given.
“Awards are given according to classification: generally there are about two awards for freshmen, four for sophomores, six for juniors, and eight to 10 for seniors and two to three for graduate students,” Kibler said. “MSU-Meridian students are also eligible for the award.”
The Spirit of State Award is the most prestigious student award at MSU, because the recipients represent the best of MSU through their spirit, Kibler said.
Sophomore industrial and systems engineering major, Jenna Owen, was a 2009 recipient and the first freshman to ever receive the award.
“The Spirit of State award is given to young men and women who go above and beyond their call as students to give back to MSU in some capacity,” Owen said. “Leadership and service are heavily weighted when Spirit of State award recipients are chosen.”
Owen said she was very honered to be the first freshman to receive the award and saw it as a challent to uphold what the award means to her.
“Not only was it an honor to receive, but for me it was also a challenge that said, ‘Continually strive to make MSU a better place, even though you already won the award,'” she said. “The award is just a plaque, and MSU deserves so much more of your time and talents.”
Owen said before she received the award she had a passion to give back to the university in any way she could.
“Since receiving the Spirit of State award, that passion has been kicked into overdrive, and I can’t wait to discover new ways to give back to the university that has done so much for me,” she said.
Mary Hampton Morrison, junior communication major, also was a 2009 recipient of the award.
“The Spirit of the State Award is something that I will always cherish,” Morrison said. “To me, it means loving all things Maroon and White and having a passion for the MSU student life. It is recognizing that we have a 18,000 member family and really feeling blessed to be a student at Mississippi State.”
Students must have a 2.25 minimum grade point average and good academic and disciplinary standing with the university to be considered for the award.
A student may only receive the Spirit of State award once. Winners will be recognized at a ceremony on April 16.