JONESBORO – Six exemplary students from Arkansas State University have been selected as Distinguished Service Award (DSA) winners for 2023-2024. The DSA recipients will be recognized during Convocation of Scholars as the institution’s most outstanding graduates based on their record of leadership, scholarship and citizenship.
One of these students will be announced as the 2024 recipient of the university’s highest honor, the R.E. Lee Wilson Award, on Thursday, April 25, at a campus dinner for the DSA winners.
This year’s recipients of the Distinguished Service Award are Bailey Blackmon of Perryville; Christopher L. Crutchfield of North Little Rock; Natan Gomez of Irapuato, Mexico; Ann Long of Cape Girardeau, Mo.; William “Garrett” Partain of Lepanto; and Khushi Singh of Bryant.
Faculty, staff and advisers nominate top students for the prestigious annual awards.
All of the nominees have achieved excellent academic records and provided countless hours of service to the community, their classmates, campus organizations, their departments and colleges, and to Arkansas State University. A committee comprised of students, faculty, staff and previous Wilson Award recipients makes the final selections. Here are some highlights about each of this year’s DSA winners.
Christopher Crutchfield of North Little Rock
Crutchfield will graduate in May with a degree in instrumental music education from the College of Liberal Arts and Communication. He has numerous accolades including being named to the Chancellor’s List and Dean‘s List.
Crutchfield was the first recipient of the Herman W. Strickland Memorial Scholarship, a band performance scholarship, and an Academic Excellence Scholarship from Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Theta Mu Chapter for having the highest grade point average.
His academic achievements have served to elevate his standing with professors and peers. He served on the University Academic Integrity Committee, Diversity Planning Committee, and was part of the Student Diversity and Recruitment Organization. Crutchfield has performed with many bands on campus and is co-founder of the newly developed Natural State Saxophone Club. His adviser is Dr. Elissa Kana, instructor of music.
William “Garrett” Partain of Lepanto
Partain will graduate in May with a degree in political science from the College of Liberal Arts and Communication. He has been listed on the Chancellor’s List and the Dean’s list on numerous occasions during his academic career. An outstanding student, Partain has received numerous scholarships.
In addition, he received a Middle East Studies Grant for a language fellowship that took him to study Modern Standard Arabic in Morocco. He also received an internship through The Washington Center at 50 State, a state-focused government and public affairs firm, in Washington, D.C., where he spent his final senior semester.
A senator for the Student Government Association, Partain has served on several committees and was instrumental in the establishment of a housing scholarship to help less fortunate students. He is part of the Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honor Society and Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, has served on the University Academic Integrity Committee, and participated in Model United Nations. His adviser is Natasha Neal, instructor of political science.
