At the April 12 Martin Methodist College (now the University of Tennessee Southern) annual Honors Convocation, two students, athletes Teven “Drew” Nipper of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Aubriana Schneider of Green River, Wyo., were recognized as joint recipients of the prestigious UTS (formerly MMC) Alumni Association Exemplary Student Award.
The UTS (formerly MMC) Alumni Association Exemplary Award is presented to students who, in the opinion of the Alumni Council, have exhibited through word and deed one or more of UTS (formerly MMC)’s core values of nurture, honor, diversity, and compassion. Students are nominated by faculty members, coaches, staff, and administrative workers. Along with a certificate of recognition, the award consists of a memento, a $200 check, and a $100 gift card to the UTS (formerly MMC) bookstore. The recipients also become lifetime members of the UTS (formerly MMC) Alumni Council.
Nipper, a senior baseball player and sport management major, took the initiative to create the UTS (formerly MMC) Sport Management Society. As president, he, along with other sport management majors and their professor, planned and moderated a successful 2019 NFL event, featuring four current and former NFL executives.
Schneider, a senior soccer player and biology major, led her teammates through a successful year despite a serious knee injury. In December 2018, she was named to the prestigious Google Cloud Academic All-American NAIA Women’s Soccer First Team, a recognition selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. On-campus, she serves as a science tutor, and she works on spearheading conservation efforts around campus and the local community.
“Drew and Aubriana are certainly deserving of the UTS (formerly MMC) Alumni Association Exemplary Student Award!” said Jaymi Ray, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations & Martin Methodist Fund. “They’ve worked hard this semester, both in the classroom and on the field, and I’m proud to be a member of an institution that acknowledges such successful students.”
“The Alumni Council is very proud of Drew and Aubriana,” said Overton Campbell, Alumni Council member. “We recognize that the efforts of the faculty, administration, and coaching staff greatly influence our students and instill in them the College’s core values.”
Martin Methodist College, founded in 1870, is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Martin Methodist offers baccalaureate degrees in 39 programs of study that include English, religious studies, music, and dramatic arts, mathematics and natural sciences to business, social sciences, education, criminal justice, and nursing.