On Friday, May 8, Barry University held its annual Honors Convocation to recognize the outstanding academic and service achievements of the university’s students. More than 150 people were in attendance for the event which distinguished students from seven of Barry’s schools and colleges.

Barry’s most distinguished award, the St. Catherine Medal, is awarded annually to two students who exemplify outstanding service or leadership among their peers. The award is granted by the Kappa Gamma Pi National Catholic College Honor Society to a pair of Barry students, a senior and a sophomore or junior. The Honors Committee has conferred this medal each year upon outstanding Barry students who have displayed high ideals and leadership in Catholic college education. The recipient of the medal is selected on the basis of leadership and service to Barry University and/or church and community.

Senior Cheryl Frazier, a senior Philosophy major who graduated on May 9, earned the award in the senior category, while junior Alejandro Tobon, a pre-professional biology major, was named the reciepetient in the sophomore/junior category.

Fraizer is a Stamps Leadership Scholar and was actively involved in numerous university sponsored clubs and organizations during her tenure at Barry. She was a member of the Honors Program Student Advisory Board for four years and president of the Philosophy Club for three years. In addition, Frazier has been a member of the Psychology Club, The Ethics Bowl and Bioethics Bowl, and Alternative Spring Break.

Frazier has an outstanding academic record at Barry and has presented her work at various conferences. She is a member of seven academic honor societies: Sigma Alpha Pi, Sigma Tau Delta, Phi Sigma Tau, Delta Epsilon Sigma, Kappa Gamma Pi, Alpha Chi, Delta Epsilon Iota. She will continue her studies at the University of Oklahoma in the fall where she earned a Patwardhan Fellowship and will pursue a PhD in Philosophy.

Tobon is a member of Barry’s Alternative Spring Break program and serves as the co-chair of the organization. He is the current president of Barry’s Minority Association of Pre-Health Students and serves as community service chair for Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, the Latina American Student Association, and the Men Achieving Leadership, Excellence, and Success organization.

In addition to his service on campus, off-campus, Tobon works with a number of organizations in South Florida including: Feeding South Florida, International Beach Day Clean Up, Bone Marrow Donors with La Icla Silva Foundation, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. He is the previous winner of the Mother Gerald Barry Outstanding Sophomore Award at Barry University in 2014.

In addition to the St. Catherine Medal, the dean of each school and college, located on the Miami Shores campus, awarded their unit’s Dean’s Award to one or two students. The winners of Barry’s Deans’ Awards were selected because of their academic commitment and their representation of their school/college.

The Deans’ Awards Winners:

In addition to the Deans’ Awards, students were also recognized in the categories of writing, scholarship, and honor societies inductees. A list of these winners is below.

Sigma Tau Delta Writing Awards:

Scholarship Awards:

Dr. Lloyd D. Elgart Memorial Scholarship: Karina Patricia Salinas – Major: Management and Marketing

Honor Societies:

Alpha Chi: 

Delta Epsilon Sigma:

Kappa Gamma Pi: 

Phi Eta Sigma:

Visit the Honor Societies website for more information about Barry’s Honors Convocation and how to apply for membership in a university-sponsored honor society.

A full gallery containing images from the 2015 Honors Convocation can be found on Barry's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.992128157466561.1073741914.126706560675396&type=3