AMERICUS — Amelia Cornell was recently named Georgia Southwestern State University’s (GSW) Outstanding Scholar, the university’s highest academic honor. Cornell, along with other top students, were recognized in a special ceremony by Chancellor Steve Wrigley during the February 2018 meeting of the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents.
Cornell, a senior marketing major from Cumming, currently holds a 4.0 GPA, which puts her at the top of her class. The Outstanding Scholar Award represents superb scholastic achievement. A student must have a near-perfect GPA even to be considered for this award.
“Receiving the Outstanding Scholar Award is such an exciting honor because I always have put my all into my school work and it’s nice to have that effort recognized,” Cornell said. “Georgia Southwestern has become my home these last few years and has granted me a lot of great opportunities and with them supporting this academic achievement, it just makes me even more proud to be a Hurricane.”
“It gives me great pleasure to recognize Amelia Cornell as this year’s Outstanding Scholar,” said GSW President Neal Weaver. “This young lady exhibits determination, hard work, and excellence not only in the classroom with her flawless academic record, but in everything she puts her mind to. It makes me proud to witness her passion for the university.”
At GSW, Cornell is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society and the marketing club. She is a writer for the Sou’wester student newspaper and serves as a GSW Storm Spotter, connecting first-year students to campus activities and academic support services. Cornell has traveled to Nepal through GSW study abroad and has received numerous scholarships, including the James Deriso Scholarship and the Wheatley Scholarship.
“Making some sacrifices … was worth it because more opportunities kept coming my way,” stated Cornell. She began receiving more scholarships and was asked to get more involved in school. “This kept me motivated and I realized all the things I could do.”
“Amelia is exactly what we hope all of our students who enter GSW’s School of Business become by the time they graduate,” said Dean Elizabeth Wilson, Ph.D. Discussing Cornell’s extracurricular activities on campus and internship in the community, Wilson noted that the department is “extremely proud of Amelia and we know that her future is bright.”
As the recipient of this award, Cornell will also be honored during the annual Academic Recognition Day in the Georgia General Assembly, and she will receive a signed resolution from both the Georgia House of Representatives and the Senate.