Maddie Taylor
Lee University recognized Maddie Taylor as the recipient of the 2015 F.J. Lee Award. University President, Dr. Paul Conn presented Ms. Taylor with this award during the Honors Chapel.
This annual award was established in 1968 in honor of the second president of Lee University. It 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.
“It was such an honor even to be nominated for this award among so many wonderful students,” said Ms. Taylor. “Receiving the award gives me a deep sense of respect and gratitude toward my professors. Each one of them has had a profound impact on me, and I am humbled that they would recognize me in this way.”
While at Lee, Ms. Taylor served as a volunteer English as a Second Language tutor with Bridge Refugee Services as well as the coordinator of women’s fellowship at Havenplace Community Youth Center.
In 2014, she was a volunteer teacher at the English Language Center on campus, where she taught free ESL classes to those in the community.
During the summers of 2011 and 2012, she served in Oradea, Romania, with community development and discipleship.
"Rarely have I observed a student who has attained high levels of success in such a diversity of areas as Maddie," said Dr. Phillip Thomas, chair of the Department of Musicianship Studies. “She is an intelligent, unassuming young woman who is applauded by multiple departments and professors.”
Ms. Taylor was a member of Alpha Chi Honors Society and was featured in the School of Music’s Honors Recital in 2013 and 2014.
In December 2014, Ms. Taylor graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in vocal music, a bachelor’s in anthropology, and a minor in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).