Eleven College of Arts & Letters Graduates Receive Board of Trustees Awards for Perfect 4.0 GPAs

Eleven College of Arts & Letters students who are graduating in Spring 2023 not only completed their academic programs successfully but have maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average — the highest scholastic average one can attain at the end of their undergraduate careers at Michigan State University. This lofty academic achievement has earned them Board of Trustees Awards. 

They are among the record-breaking 206 graduating students who were recognized during the April 21 MSU Board of Trustees meeting and presented with Board of Trustees Awards for graduating with a 4.0 GPA. To be eligible for this prestigious award, at least three-fourths of the credits for the degree must be earned in residence at MSU. 

“It is an honor to present these students with an award that embodies the culmination of all the hard work and dedication they have demonstrated. We are proud of them and optimistic they will continue as lifelong learners who make a difference in their communities.”

Rema Vassar, Ph.D., MSU Board of Trustees Chair

“It is an honor to present these students with an award that embodies the culmination of all the hard work and dedication they have demonstrated,” said MSU Board of Trustees Chair Rema Vassar, Ph.D. “We are proud of them and optimistic they will continue as lifelong learners who make a difference in their communities.”

Each semester, students graduating with a 4.0 GPA are presented with Board of Trustees Awards for their academic excellence. Additionally, each awardee is acknowledged during their individual commencement ceremonies and receive $1,000 from the university in recognition of their accomplishment.   

“These awards are an embodiment of our students’ resilience and continuous commitment to their education during their years at MSU,” said Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D. “I am confident their continued excellence will permeate every aspect of their future, and I look forward to the impact they will have in Michigan and in the world.”

The following are the Spring 2023 College of Arts & Letters graduates who have received Board of Trustees Awards:

  • Jesse Amburgey, B.A. in Studio Art, College of Arts & Letters
  • Samantha Bourgeois, B.A. in English, College of Arts & Letters; B.S. in Construction Management, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Honors College 
  • Sylvia Hodges, B.A. in English, College of Arts & Letters; Honors College 
  • Dana Holt, BFA in Graphic Design, College of Arts & Letters; Honors College 
  • Isabelle Letcher, B.A. in Philosophy, College of Arts & Letters 
  • Hadley Lloyd, B.A. in Spanish, College of Arts & Letters; B.A. Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, James Madison College; Honors College 
  • Kara Mackenzie, B.A. in Professional and Public Writing, College of Arts & Letters 
  • Sophia Psiakis, BFA in Acting, College of Arts & Letters
  • Kate Schleusener, B.A. in Experience Architecture, College of Arts & Letters
  • CJ Sivak, B.A. in Linguistics, College of Arts & Letters; B.S. Urban and Regional Planning, College of Social Science; Honors College 
  • Rachel Renee Vos, BFA in Acting, College of Arts & Letters