Lee University announced graduate Jamie Achten as the recipient of the 2012 F. J. Lee Award.
Established in 1968 and named in honor of the second president of Lee, this annual award is presented to a senior at Lee who has demonstrated high standards of integrity, leadership, service, broad campus involvement, and academic excellence. Each department may nominate one student for the award, and from these nominees a winner is selected by a faculty vote.
Ms. Achten, a native of Franklin, Tn., graduated summa cum laude from Lee in December 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in communication with an emphasis in advertising.
“I'm blown away at the generosity and support that Lee has shown me over the last four years,” Ms. Achten said. “God has been so faithful to me through my college experience, and He has used Lee's staff and environment to challenge and propel me forward. I feel so undeserving and yet honored to have received this award."
Dr. Joel Kailing, professor of communication, said, “Jamie was the ideal student who brightened the classroom with her intelligence and enthusiasm for learning. The Communication Arts Department has never had one of our majors win this award before, so we are especially proud of Jamie’s achievement and her recognition by the entire university.”
Ms. Achten was named Female Amateur Athlete of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and will be honored at a banquet in Nashville on May 19.
In 2011, she received the Capital One Academic All-American College Division Player of the Year for women’s soccer, and also became the first-ever two-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Player of the Year for 2010 and 2011.
Ms. Achten holds the Lee and NAIA record for most career assists and was named to the NAIA All-American First Team for four consecutive years. Additionally, she helped lead the Lady Flames soccer team to four consecutive NAIA national titles.
In 2010, she was a winner of an advertising award from the American Advertising Federation of Chattanooga, and she also received second place in an advertising contest for the Cleveland Media Association. While at Lee, she was a member of the Greek letter society Delta Zeta Tau.
Ms. Achten currently works as a recruiter and strength and conditioning coach at D1 Sports Training and is an assistant coach of the Tennessee Futbol Club.
MS. Achten was honored as the F.J. Lee Award recipient during Lee’s commissioning service on Friday, May 4.