The graduating class of 2023 gathered in Moody Coliseum Sunday for the new Senior Celebration and Sendoff, which included a dinner followed by and a candlelight devotional in the Teague Special Events Center.
During the dinner, the ACU Alumni Association gave awards to seniors who excelled in their grades or department:
- ACU Honor Man: Conner Crawford
- ACU Honor Woman: Mackenzie Bankes
- Trustees Awards: Macee Valter, Thomas Sanderson, Lindsey May
- Dean Adams Achievement Award: Dylan Roundtree, Elizabeth Crawford, Stephanie Tran
- V.W. and Loreta Kelley Scholarship: Amelia Little and Angel Smith
- Mr. ACU: Nate Wade
- Miss. ACU: Lindsey May
“I think it’s one of their last times to be together just as a class and just be,” said April Young, senior alumni and university relations officer. “But the worship piece that ACU provides at the school that the universities don’t provide is really unique. I think that an added factor to being together is not only they’re together, but they’re worshiping together and spending time with the Lord together.”
The Senior Celebration and Sendoff used to be called the Senior Candlelight Sendoff however, because of the added dinner portion the ACU Alumni Association changed the name for the seniors.
“So we started senior candlelight here, and it’s probably been going on 10 plus years with the idea of capping an ACU experience starting with candlelight and ending with candlelight,” Young said. “This year, we felt a need to elevate even that experience and create an addition to it, what we’re calling the celebration part, essentially a senior dinner, for lack of a better term, that serves as that last element of time where they get to spend time together in a meal and then get to go worship together.”
Dinner was provided by The Shed Market, and a speech was given during the celebration by Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university. The ACU Alumni Association office provided gifts for seniors as a way of welcoming them into the organization.
“I think for us, specifically for the alumni office, it allows us for the first time to introduce ourselves as our staff, to welcome these students into the alumni community of ACU,” Young said. “And so that’s one of the many reasons why we love it. And it’s just a great tradition that we enjoy putting on for the senior class.”
After the dinner, Dr. Laura Carroll, executive director of Adams Center for Teaching and Learning and professor of English, led the candlelight devotional in the Teague. Sage Lauderback, senior biology major from Farmington, New Mexico, said that was signifiant because Carroll led the freshman Candlelight Devotional four years ago.
“I think getting to be a part of something we did as a freshman and rounding out the four years the same way we have started is really exciting,” Lauderback said.
