William Marvin Sewell IV of Albany, Georgia, is the recipient of the Fall 2019 President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the College of the Arts 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.

Sewell will serve as the official banner carrier for the College of the Arts during the undergraduate commencement ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, on the VSU Front Lawn. He will graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in communication, emphasis in organizational communication.

“Receiving this award is both a great honor and a significant milestone in my life,” he said. “Moreover, this achievement testifies to the faithfulness of the Lord and speaks volumes about those who have taken the time to invest in me. Reflecting upon all of the hours, efforts, and intentionality of professors, teachers, and others throughout the years, I realize that I did not arrive to this point on my own. This realization both humbles me and fills me with gratitude for those the Lord has put into my life. To my family, friends, and all who have given of themselves to invest in me, I take this moment to say, ‘Thank you. I love you more than you know.’ To Mom and Dad, ‘We did it.’”

As a student at VSU, Sewell was a member of Sigma Alpha Pi: The National Society of Leadership and Success and Lambda Pi Eta, the National Communication Association’s official honor society. He volunteered with Second Harvest Food Bank in both Albany and Valdosta, and he held leadership positions and served with Baptist Collegiate Ministries.

“Throughout my college career, I have served and interned within the local church,” he added. “My internships provided me with various leadership positions and opportunities. I especially thank the men and women within the church who invested in me.”

Sewell’s commitment to academic and service excellence resulted in him earning a spot on the Dean’s List every semester and the Outstanding Health Communication Student Award. He was a Georgia HOPE Scholar.

Sewell plans to pursue a Master of Divinity in preaching and pastoral ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. His ultimate goal is Non Ministari Sed Ministare, not to be served but to serve. He aspires to “love, serve, and glorify God by loving and serving people.” He is the son of Billy and Leah Sewell.