ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø honored seven students as recipients of the 2025 leadership and service awards.
“ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøis a better university because of you all,” President Beck A. Taylor told a Wright Center audience. “Thank you for the way you have significantly given back academically and through leadership and service to this university.”
Service Award: James Martin II
A religion major, Martin serves as preaching director for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøSundays, and is actively involved in campus life, including serving as ambassador for the Howard College department of Biblical and Religious Studies and a peer advisor. He was a Connections leader for three years and volunteered as an English teacher in Uzbekistan and as a global mobilizer intern at the English Language Institute in China. He tutors students in local schools each week for the RISE program through Grace Fellowship.
This award, which honors former Dean of Students Margaret Davidson Sizemore, recognizes the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøstudent who best exemplifies qualities of social service.
Gail Hyle Memorial Award: Bailey Baxter
Baxter is a communication science major currently serving as president of the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøNational Student Speech Language Hearing Association. In addition to serving as a Connections leader, her other areas of involvement include volunteering in children's speech therapy outpatient clinics and serving as the new member coordinator for her sorority. Baxter served as a bilingual helper at a Title I inner-city school in Birmingham, supporting the children with language disorders, and as a volunteer at the Memorial Hospital Neuroscience Institute.
Hyle was a ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøcheerleader and 1960 homecoming queen, whose family established the memorial award in 1961. It annually recognizes a woman in the graduating class who best exemplifies the outstanding qualities of Christian character, leadership, school spirit and service.
John R. Mott Award: Thomas J. Riggs
Majoring in law, politics and society, Riggs serves as president of Samford’s debate team, president of the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøCollege Democrats, president of the university’s Amnesty International chapter, SGA student justice and a member of the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøGives Back leadership team. He is the executive director of the Birmingham Area Debate League and head coach of the Impact America SpeakFirst debate team. Riggs recently was recognized as a Truman Scholar and finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.
The John R. Mott Award was established by a local friend to honor the renowned American Christian leader and 1946 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. It is presented to a man in the graduating class who represents high character scholarship and student public service.
James M. Sizemore Award: Julianna Argentine
A management major and active student leader, Augustine served on Samford’s recruitment team, and the Dean's Advisory Council. She was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi honor sororities, and as a national ambassador of Alpha Lambda Delta honor society. She studied abroad in London and Dublin and demonstrates her commitment to serving as an active volunteer in her church where she is on the prayer team, writes and presents devotionals for the 21 days of prayer, and tutors ESL students weekly.
Margaret Sizemore established the James M. Sizemore Award in memory of her husband. It is presented to a senior class member who best demonstrates character, personality, scholarship and unselfish servants to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.
King Character Award: Grace Robinson
A junior communication major, Robinson is deeply involved on campus and in her community. She's a member of Lambda Pi Eta honor society, worked as a student recruiter and serves on the leadership team for campus outreach. This summer, she will serve with Campus Outreach for their cross-cultural project. An intern at Grace Klein Community, Robinson volunteered internationally with Orphanage Emanuel in Honduras. She received the Scholastic Award for outstanding sophomore, outstanding junior and outstanding comms research student.
The King Character award—established in 2022 by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøgraduates Colin and Katherine King—recognizes a rising senior who demonstrated exceptional Christian character and exemplary merit through community service, academic excellence and campus involvement.
Rufus W. Shelton Community Service Award: Elijah Carswell and Linden Cundiff
Carswell is a doctoral candidate in the McWhorter School of Pharmacy with a strong commitment to research, community service and leadership. He founded ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøFood Heroes, an organization dedicated to preventing food waste, in partnership with Grace Klein, for which he received the 2024 outstanding new organization award. This year, the organization has rescued over 3,500 pounds of food. He is assistant executive director for ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøGives Back and received the 2023 outstanding student director leadership award for his work with that event.
Cundiff has served as vice president for events of the SGA, a member of the student senate and as director of campus tours for the student recruitment team. A Howard Scholar, she was president of Lambda Pi Eta honor society for the Communication and Media Department, as well as serving leadership roles within her sorority.
The award was established in memory of Rufus W. Shelton, Class of 1932. The SGA student senate selects one man and one woman each year—awardees who have made the most significant contributions to improving life at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøthrough special, sustained efforts.
