More than 100 students in Virginia Tech’s Honors College were recently recognized with the Norrine Bailey Spencer Strong Start Award. The award goes to 129 students who achieved a 4.0 in their first semester of study at Virginia Tech.

The namesake of the award is the late Norrine Bailey Spencer, former associate provost and director of undergraduate admissions and former associate dean of the Pamplin College of Business, who often expressed to students the importance of getting a strong start in their university education.

Norrine Bailey Spencer
Norrine Bailey Spencer

“It is fitting that this award be named in memory of Norrine,” her husband, Edward Spencer, said. “With an undergraduate mathematics degree and a Ph.D. in educational evaluation and research, she appreciated how important a strong start is in determining cumulative success. Using the mathematical GPA formula, Norrine was very fond of showing students that after the first semester, each succeeding semester has less and less ability to impact one’s overall GPA. It’s the strong start that is so important.”

The following students were recognized for their achievement:

  • Alyssa An, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Vikram Balaji, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Emily Barcalow, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Paige Barnhart, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Michael Binyam, a first-year student in the Pamplin College of Business
  • Ivy Brundege, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Charlotte Cann, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Krista Carlton, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Nicholas Cavicchio, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Mila Chestukhin, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Sophia Christian, a transfer student in the Pamplin College of Business
  • Tristan Coates, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Erin Coffey, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Margaret Cole, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Peyton Coleman, a first-year student in the Pamplin College of Business
  • Faith Colfer, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Louhan Dembele, a first-year student in the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
  • Peter Downey, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Alex Drummond, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Brock Duma, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Olivia Edwards, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Yasmeen Elgayli, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Austin Elliott, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Virginia Fehrer, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Caroline Foltz, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Darcy Foot, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Nimay Goradia, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Caleigh Hampton, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Amira Hansch, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Caleb Hines, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Jacqueline J Hou, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Aariq Huq, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Justin Huynh, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Spencer Just, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Ethan Kahn, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Eric Kauppi, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Sofia Killar, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Karissa Konezny, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Alden Koupal, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Anna Leino, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Madison Liebler, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Yasmin Liu, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Emily Martin, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Juliana Mcirvin, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Dori Mitchell, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Grace Morrow (Transfer, Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Jillian Morse, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Kayla Moten, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Riley Nichols, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Leela Ohri, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Vincent Parente, a transfer student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Natalie Pelto, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Laura Petros, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Lauren Pitonyak, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Samuel Purviance, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Adrian Ramsey, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Ella Reitmeier, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Rafiha Reya, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Stephanie Rodas, a transfer student in the College of Engineering
  • Daniel Sane, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Christina San-Marina, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Bayliss Simon, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Ethan Skinner, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Kate Smith, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Sean Smith, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • James Stilwell, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Grant Terry, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Olivia Thacker, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Gabrielle Theunissen, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Sydney Thomas, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Luke Vanlandingham, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Ben Weiss, a first-year student in the Pamplin College of Business
  • Jeremy West, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Lea Winters, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Emilee Worley, a first-year student in University Studies
  • Kevin Xu, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Jackson Aull, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Connor Balint, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Caroline Berg, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Georgia Berg, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • John Brent, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Quinlan Bruen, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Ethan Camacho, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Ryan Cogswell, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Samuel Craypoff, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Jasser Darguech, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Sadie DesRoches, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Harsheel Dhruva, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Adrian Dimarco, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Olivia Elliott, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Zachary Glesius, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Srija Gopavaram, a first-year student in the Pamplin College of Business
  • Lucas Gose, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Katharine Green, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Lia Handler, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • William Hanger, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Amelia Hegstrom, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Nathan Ho, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Erika Hobson, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Hyunwoo Jung, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
  • Ayesha Kabduwal, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • RaeAnna Kelly, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Rakin Khoja, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Benjamin Kleber, a first-year student in the Pamplin College of Business
  • Christopher Kube, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Elizabeth Leonard, a first-year student in the Pamplin College of Business
  • Christie Li, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Anjala Maddur, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Ethan Mauger, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Amanda Mclaughlin, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Lillie Mitchell, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Shrutika Naraharasetti, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Adam Nguyen, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Emmah Payne, a first-year student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Gabrielle Peta, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Nicola Rademaker, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Paige Roach, a first-year student in University Studies
  • Ned Rose, a first-year student in the College of Natural Resources
  • Adrienne Ryan, a first-year student in the Pamplin College of Business
  • Grace Vaughan Sacks, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Jude Sanborn, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Nathaniel Scott, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Erland Syafiq, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Jackson Waldstein, a first-year student in the College of Engineering
  • Levi Walker, a first-year student in the College of Science
  • Edward Wells, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Jason Witt, a first-year student in the Pamplin College of Business
  • Michael Wombacher, a first-year student in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences
  • Taylor Wypyski, a first-year student in the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design
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