Arionna Muhammad Named VSU College of Education and Human Services Top Graduate

VALDOSTA — Arionna Muhammad of Valdosta, Georgia, is the recipient of the Fall 2019 President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services at Valdosta State University.

The President’s Award for Academic Excellence is presented to the graduating student with the highest grade point average in each of VSU’s six colleges — Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, College of the Arts, James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and College of Science and Mathematics.

VSU will celebrate its 228^th commencement on Friday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 14.

Muhammad will serve as the official banner carrier for the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services during the undergraduate commencement ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, on the VSU Front Lawn. She will graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Education in elementary education.

“I am honored to be receiving the President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the Dewar College of Education and Human Services,” she said. “It feels incredible to be acknowledged for my three and a half years of hard work and dedication. Leading my fellow graduates into the commencement ceremony is an exciting experience that I will never forget.”

As a student at VSU, Muhammad was a Georgia HOPE Scholar and a member of Kappa Delta Pi: International Honor Society in Education and Heart to Heart Association, a group that mentors community children and teens. She also served as a College of Education and Human Services ambassador.

Muhammad’s commitment to academic and service excellence resulted in her being recognized on the Dean’s List every semester and earning the 2017 and 2019 Ralph B. Johnson Scholarship and 2019 Sallie Hutchinson Scholarship.

After graduation Muhammad plans to begin her teaching career while also pursuing a master’s degree in elementary education. She hopes to mentor and inspire as many students as possible and play a positive role in shaping who they will ultimately become in the future. She is the daughter of Adrian Lewis and Zahir Muhammad.