USM Honors College Publication 鈥淭he Medallion鈥� Earns National Recognition
Wed, 10/23/2024 - 04:01pm | By: Dr. David Tisdale
The Medallion, an annual publication of 91少女集中营 (USM) Honors College, has earned first place in the National Collegiate Honors Council鈥檚 (NCHC) Faculty/Administrator/Student Print Newsletter category of its .
Jessie James-Prince, a Southern Miss graduate who serves as Honors Academic Advisor and Coordinator of Honors Living Learning Programs, is the primary creator and editor of The Medallion. Hillary Lovinggood, graphic design specialist on the creative communications team in the Office of University Communications designed the publication. Kelli Sellers and Helen Greene, members of the Honors College team, will attend the NCHC conference in Kansas City, Mo., later this month to accept the award.鈥�
鈥淩eceiving this award was such an exciting surprise,鈥� James-Prince said. 鈥淚 submitted the final draft of The Medallion the day before I had my daughter back in March, three months earlier than I normally submit it, so when I got the text that this year鈥檚 issue was chosen, I was just so proud of everyone鈥檚 help in making it such a success.
鈥淭he team that I am a part of here at the Honors College is so special,鈥� James-Prince continued. 鈥淲e love to collaborate on events, projects and programs for the students, and we tend to turn any assignment into a group assignment and that鈥檚 what makes us so great. This year鈥檚 publication is the best example of our collaborative work because, while I am the editor and come up with the theme and direction for each piece, everyone contributes in some way.鈥�
The Medallion launched in 2016 and is sent to all Honors College students and alumni each summer.
鈥淚 think The Medallion is such a great example of our efforts because since my first issue, I鈥檝e tried to highlight everything that makes our community so unique,鈥� James-Prince said in reflecting on her vision for the publication. 鈥淲hether the students are on an active learning trip, presenting their research at conferences, studying abroad or even playing football at The Rock on Saturdays, my goal is for our students to know how proud we are of them, and that they matter to not only their friends and families who will see the issue but all the Honors Scholars who were here before them.
鈥淚t excites me to get to show Honors College alumni what exciting things our students are doing. I hope when our alumni receive their issues in the mail, they see something that sparks a memory of their time as a student.鈥�
The Southern Miss Honors College is currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of its popular University Forum program, and next year will also celebrate a half century as one of the first academic entities of its kind in the nation.
鈥淚 am so excited about next year鈥檚 issue that I鈥檝e already jumped ahead to begin planning it,鈥� James-Prince explained. 鈥淢y goal is to make that issue a throwback issue, where we highlight each decade of the Honors College. With the help of alumni and University archives, I hope to create a yearbook-style spread where we can see what the Honors College has accomplished in its 50 years, along with the impact it has made on its students.鈥�鈥�
James-Prince also credited her Honors College colleagues for 鈥渉elping bring the vision for The Medallion to life鈥� with their contributions.
鈥淛essie has such an amazing eye for details, and her roles as an academic advisor and the coordinator of our living learning community mean she constantly reflects on how to best represent our students, faculty, and alumni and the good work they are doing in the world,鈥� said Dr. Joyce Inman, Dean of the Honors College. 鈥淪he focuses on how to create community, and The Medallion is a wonderful example of how she works with our team and various Southern Miss communities associated with the Honors College to provide snapshots of our scholars and their dedication to taking their education to the next level. Our whole team contributes to this publication, and I know they appreciate Jessie and are excited to see their work recognized.鈥�