Hanna Clair Dunnavant of Cordele, Georgia, is the recipient of the Fall 2019 President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration 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.

Dunnavant will serve as the official banner carrier for the Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration 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 Business Administration in healthcare administration.

“I consider this award a testimony to the many educators that have been a positive influence in my life,” she said. “From Crisp County Pre-K to my last semester of college, I have been blessed with teachers and professors alike who have been committed to my education and have constantly challenged me to reach my fullest potential. These educators are the reason I have loved being a student and consider my education a prized possession. This recognition, while an honor to be received, would not have been possible without the support of the mentors who have guided me along the way.”

As a student at VSU, Dunnavant was a member of the University Ambassadors Program; Beta Gamma Sigma: The International Business Honor Society; the Delta Theta Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi, where she served as vice president of finance; and Public Relations Student Society of America, where she served as secretary and vice president.

Dunnavant’s commitment to academic and service excellence resulted in her being named a Zell Miller Scholar every semester, as well as earning the Outstanding Healthcare Administration Senior Award, Southwest Georgia Bank Scholarship, Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration Study Abroad Scholarship, Bank of America Scholarship, R.B. Whitehead Scholarship, Georgia Power Recruitment and Retention Fund Scholarship, Crisp County 4-H Scholarship, Cordele-Crisp Community League Scholarship, and Cordele Lions Club Scholarship.   

Dunnavant plans to continue her education and pursue a career in the legal field. She is currently interested in public policy and medical malpractice, but she is keeping her options open in case she discovers new interests in law school. She is the daughter of Mickey and Janann Dunnavant.