Katherine Vaughan '24 honored as outstanding student of Washington Semester
May 11, 2023
Katherine Vaughan '24 was recognized by her peers with the Dr. Christopher Joyner Memorial Award for Outstanding Student in the spring class of the Lutheran College Washington Semester program.
Washington Semester, a partnership of 13 colleges spread across the nation, allows students to spend a full semester living and interning in D.C.
Vaughan, a business administration major, worked with kglobal, a PR firm whose portfolio includes Fortune 500 companies. The chance to be embedded with such a high-level operator was an incredible experience, she said earlier this year.
"I was really drawn to the internship component," she said of her interest in the D. C. partnership. "... It has been the perfect way to get real-world marketing and communications experience to supplement my business coursework."
READ MORE: Why Washington Semester? Unique program blends real-world learning and cultural immersion
The outstanding student award celebrates a person who's personified academic excellence, inquisitiveness in the classroom and a commitment to learning in all aspects of life. Vaughan was nominated for the prize by her fellow students and her professors in D.C.
She was applauded for her insightful comments and perspectives in class, as well as her talent in building on ideas to draw connections back to real-world events and prior coursework, Washington Semester leaders said.
"Her professors were likewise impressed with the depth and energy with which she pursued her coursework, noting that she often exceeded expectations and went above and beyond in completing assignments," said Edward Hasecke, dean and executive director of the program.
The Dr. Christopher Joyner Memorial Award for Outstanding Student is named in memory of a celebrated professor and longtime supporter of the program. Joyner taught at Georgetown University and was a dedicated scholar who published extensively, served on more than a dozen editorial boards and was vice chair of the American Council on the United Nations.
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Roanoke College was one of three original founding schools that created the Lutheran College Washington Semester consortium in 1986. In addition to interning with government agencies, nonprofits and other organizations, Washington Semester students take classes and engage in trips to cultural and historical sites.