EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Keelah Washington, a senior English major with a concentration in secondary English language arts, is being honored by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois for her leadership, service and overall excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities.
Washington, a Chicago native, will receive the Academy’s esteemed Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award, on behalf of SIUE, during the 43rd Annual Student Laureate Award Ceremony being held Saturday, Nov. 11 in Springfield.
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“After a University-wide nomination procedure, Keelah was selected from a group of academically outstanding students,” said Paul Rose, PhD, interim dean of the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB). “The award recipient is honored not only for academic achievement, but also for leadership and service. It was Keelah’s extensive experience as a leader on- and off-campus that truly made her stand out.”
Washington’s desire to become a leader and make a difference was formed at a young age. She is committed to positively impacting and changing lives in all she does.
While at SIUE, along with achieving academic excellence, Washington has worked in five different departments across campus, and served on four executive boards and 10 organizations or committees. She is president of the student organization Black Girls Rock!, an SIUE honors student, a member and diversity officer in the SIUE Student Senate and a Springboard to Success orientation leader.
“Because I’ve seen how cyclical poverty, poor mental health and violence can be first hand, my biggest concern is to give back, while promoting others to do the same,” Washington said. “Although there is supposedly a difference between curricular and extracurricular, in my eyes, they are all necessary to fulfill my God-given purpose, both at the University level and in the U.S.”
In her candidate statement for the 2017-18 student government elections, Washington said, “If I’ve learned anything, it’s that representation matters, and I want to be that representation for students. Whether it’s as a female, a black student at a predominantly white institution, or an educator, I want to be the person people can come to and feel confident that I will be their voice.”
According to Washington, her career aspirations “change with the weather,” but her pursuit of a degree in secondary English education is setting her in a good direction.
“Most people realize that a high school English classroom could be the last chance for a student to spend time in the humanities,” she explained. “It’s a catch-all position, because it would be my job as a teacher to turn these students into humanitarians and world-changers in a single semester. And I want that.”
“From our first meeting, I was impressed with Keelah’s enthusiasm for public education and her understanding of the ways in which teaching English language and literature intersect with increasing cultural awareness and developing participatory communities,” Jill K. Anderson, PhD, associate professor of English and program director of secondary English education in the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote in her recommendation letter. “Her activism defines her. Keelah is not content with the status quo. Her commitment to social change translates into full-throttled action, whether in the classroom or in her various campus roles.”
“I have always been goal-oriented and extremely organized in my values, but attending SIUE has given me all of the missing networking and leadership-oriented pieces I was missing to make my dreams realistic and measurable to achieve,” Washington concluded.
The state’s student laureates receive a Student Laureate Medallion, a $1,000 educational grant and a certificate of achievement.
The SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior prepares students in a wide range of fields including public health, exercise science, nutrition, instructional technology, psychology, speech-language pathology and audiology, educational administration, and teaching. Faculty members engage in leading-edge research, which enhances teaching and enriches the educational experience. The School supports the community through on-campus clinics, outreach to children and families, and a focused commitment to enhancing individual lives across the region.
Central to SIUE’s exceptional and comprehensive education, the College of Arts and Sciences has 19 departments and 85 areas of study. More than 300 full-time faculty/instructors deliver classes to more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Faculty help students explore diverse ideas and experiences, while learning to think and live as fulfilled, productive members of the global community. Study abroad, service-learning, internships, and other experiential learning opportunities better prepare SIUE students not only to succeed in our region's workplaces, but also to become valuable leaders who make important contributions to our communities.
