Three Humanities and Social Sciences Seniors Awarded Mathews Medal

Three Humanities and Social Science students will graduate from NC State with a top university honor — the Mathews Medal. The annual award, presented by the Alumni Association Student Ambassador Program, recognizes seniors who have served the university as leaders and created a lasting legacy. 

Kevin Hogan, a senior majoring in psychology with a minor in German studies, committed himself to serving the Wolfpack during his first year on campus. As a community assistant in Sullivan Residence Hall, he learned about the challenges first-year students face on a daily basis. Hogan became a vital resource to students as an orientation leader, a resident advisor and vice president of service for the National Residence Hall Honorary.

In his final year at NC State, Hogan founded the Resident Advisor Council to empower other RAs to create safe spaces for residents. He has focused his efforts on developing a culture of inclusivity at NC State and cultivating spaces for students to develop and grow as future leaders.

Jayna Lennon, a senior double majoring in political science and Arabic, has been a fierce advocate for students’ basic needs. While serving on student government as a first-year senator, Lennon sat on the dining committee, where she first began to see the need for addressing food insecurity. Since then, Lennon has served as executive director of Feed the Pack, a campus organization that addresses food insecurity, and as a mental health ambassador in the Counseling Center.

Through her involvement and advocacy, Feed the Pack now serves 300 percent as many patrons today than when the pantry first opened in 2012 and has garnered more institutional support. Lennon has also served as a Park Scholarships class liaison and with Leadership and Civic Engagement.

Malasia McClendon, a senior majoring in political science, stepped up as a campus leader, serving as a chancellor’s aide, as vice president of the Kappa Omicron Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and as a “Leader for Change” intern with Leadership and Civic Engagement. She also served as president of the campus chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People — a chapter she reactivated after four years of inactivity. 

McClendon has worked hard to help new students transition to the university by promoting unity. She won the Leader of the Pack award in 2018 and was also recognized as the “Most Outstanding Woman” in Multicultural, Diversity and Other Inclusion Initiatives. 

Miriam Kathleen (Mary Kate) Morgan, a senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was the fourth recipient of this year’s Mathews Medal. 

An earlier version of this story appears on the Alumni Association website.