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McArthy Receives 2023 Charles Paul Conn Award 

News, Student Success
Emma McArthy
Emma McArthy

Emma McArthy was recently named Lee University’s 2023 Charles Paul Conn (CPC) Award recipient and was recognized for this achievement during the school’s Honors Chapel in April. 

The CPC Award is given to a Lee senior who demonstrates the greatest promise of achievement in graduate or professional studies after graduating from Lee. Established in 1996, it is named after Lee’s 16th president. Each department may nominate one student for the award. From these nominees, a winner is selected by a faculty vote. 

“Emma appreciates intellectual rigor and delights in the subtleties of a complex thesis,” said Dr. Thomas Pope, professor of political science at Lee. “Her favorite courses are those that push her or show her a new lens through which to understand the world. Even better, she shares this joy with her peers, raising the caliber of classroom discussion and keeping a watchful eye out for those who are struggling.” 

While at Lee, McArthy received the Centennial Scholarship and was placed on the Dean’s List between fall 2019 and fall 2022. She also placed first in the 2021 Lee University Student Research Showcase and was a recipient of the Outstanding Freshman English Student Award. 

McArthy is a member of the Alpha Chi Intercollegiate Studies Institute Honors Program, Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology Honors Program, and the Lee University Kairos Scholars Honor Program. She has served as a peer mentor and peer leader and serves as a teaching assistant and a legal intern. She is also a member of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a program that advocates for neglected and abused children, and she also serves on the Lee Prayer team. 

“Being nominated for the Charles Paul Conn Award, let alone selected as the recipient, is such an unexpected honor,” said McArthy. “I am immensely grateful for my family, friends, and the many wonderful professors across various disciplines who have invested in me and contributed to my academic and personal growth. I will forever consider myself incredibly blessed to call Lee my alma mater.” 

McArthy will graduate this May with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a bachelor’s in human development, with a minor in pre-law. She was offered graduate positions at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, Penn State Dickenson Law, Belmont College of Law, and Regent University School of Law. 

“In all my years of service at Lee, rarely have I encountered a student with Emma’s level of talent, academic excellence, spiritual development, and emotional maturity,” said Dr. Jeffery Sargent, professor of psychology at Lee. “She consistently demonstrates determination to use her skills to build the Kingdom of God. Emma is ready for graduate school and will succeed in any career path she chooses.” 

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