Rhodes College Team Takes to the Water at Memphis Dragon Boat Festival

Recently, members of the Rhodes College community came together to form a team to participate in the third annual Memphis Dragon Boat Festival, held at Shelby Farms Park on May 31. The event, which coincided with the traditional Chinese Duanwu Festival this year, brought together 28 teams from across the Memphis area to celebrate teamwork, culture, and spirited competition on the water.

Rhodes Honors Staff for Outstanding Service and Commitment

Rhodes employees Brenda Webber, Amber Lewis, Lance Kimbrell, and Stephanie Chockley were recognized with the college’s 2025 Outstanding Staff Awards at the annual Service Recognition Brunch held May 23. Staff members with 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 50 years of service also were honored at the program held in the McCallum Ballroom. Robbie Taliaferro was recognized as the Loretta Watkins Outstanding Housekeeper, and Shundreka Jenkins was recognized as Campus Safety Officer of the Year.

Class of 2025 Members Selected for Fulbright Student Awards

Recent Rhodes College graduates Katherine Buikema, Monica Nedialkova, Maya Khalife-Hamdan, and Anna Rush have been selected to receive Fulbright U.S. Student Awards for the 2025-2026 academic year. They will serve as English teaching assistants in their assigned countries. The Fulbright Program currently facilitates the exchange of students and scholars between the United States and more than 140 countries.

Awards for Academics and Service Presented at Rhodes College’s 2025 Commencement Exercises

Hannah Meit is the recipient of the Peyton Nalle Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Prize. The 2025 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards were presented to graduating seniors Hope Robinson and Sana Zein-Sabatto and Sandi George Tracy, director of career services, who is retiring this year. The college presented the Distinguished Service Medal to William M. Short ’71, associate director of library services.

Chemistry Majors Take First and Second Place in Undergraduate Research Competition

Rhodes College chemistry majors Connor Bronze ’25 (first place) and Kathleen Modder ’26 (second place) were awarded top prizes in the undergraduate research poster competition held at The University of Memphis on April 24. Rhodes students Ella Petit ’25, Lilia Fernatt ’27, Josiah Zhang ’27, and Heath Seawright ’27 also presented their research.

Class of 2025 Members Added to the Rhodes Hall of Fame

Six graduating seniors’ portraits are being added to Rhodes College’s Hall of Fame on the second floor of Southwestern Hall. They are Keith Adams, Shanteise Bonds, Anh Duy Hoàng, Dylan Morris, Anna Yates, and Sana Zein-Sabatto. Selection to the Hall of Fame, which was established in 1931, is based on individual merit, leadership in student activities, service to others, and overall contributions to the campus community. Honorees are chosen by their peers.

Marcus Gray ’26 Forges His Own Path in Latin American Politics

Atlanta native Marcus Gray came to Rhodes College seeking a liberal arts education with a focus on pre-law studies. His interest in different cultures and world politics led him to a major in international studies, but he soon discovered a second passion though his coursework: the people, history, and politics of Latin America. Adding a second major of Latin American and Latinx studies has allowed him to academically investigate Latin America from two unique perspectives, fueling his passion for interdisciplinary learning, inspiring his research, and encouraging him to study abroad.