Five students were honored as part of the recent fall commencement ceremonies at the University of North Alabama.

Outstanding Graduates Honored at Fall Commencement

Dec. 14, 2023



Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – Five graduates were honored for outstanding achievement during the recent fall commencement ceremonies that took place recently at the University of North Alabama. Three students were awarded the Keller Key, and two students received the Turris Fidelis award. 

“These are the highest honors conferred on graduating seniors at UNA,” said Dr. Katie Kinney, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “The Keller Key and Turris Fidelis award acknowledge the years of academic and extracurricular achievement these students have worked toward throughout their collegiate careers, and it is something about which they can be proud for years to come.”

The Turris Fidelis award is awarded to a graduating senior(s) on the basis of outstanding service to the University and scholastic achievement. Recipients of the award are selected by a committee of faculty, staff, and students. This is the first year students from a fall commencement class have been awarded the Turris Fidelis. This year’s recipients are: 

  • Rylee Crawford, of Bessemer, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in political science and a minor in marketing; and
  • MacKenna Gosart, of McDonough, Georgia, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a minor in psychology. 

The Keller Key is awarded at each commencement to graduating seniors who have achieved the highest scholastic standards while at UNA. Three students were honored for their academic achievement. They are: 

  • Abby Morgan Bailey, of Oneonta, graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Architecture and Design. On a scale of 4.00, her grade point average is 4.00.
  • Rylie Jo Braden, of Gardendale, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. On a scale of 4.00, her grade point average is 4.00.
  • Sara Jane Vance, of Cherokee, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Design. On a scale of 4.00, her grade point average is 4.00.

 

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering credential, certificate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs in the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. The first-choice University for more than 10,000 on-campus and online students, UNA is on a bucolic campus in Florence, Alabama, part of the historic and vibrant Shoals region. Lions Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I’s ASUN Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/