Air Force serviceman wins VSU's most prestigious academic award

Valdosta State University awarded the Annie Powe Hopper Award to Bill Haskin, a senior education major.

Haskin has been pursuing his academic degree at VSU for the past eight years, while serving in the United State Air Force, stationed at Moody AFB.

Haskin began taking classes in 1994, while serving full-time in the Air Force, he has continued as a part-time student, except for two years while deployed to Kuwait.

?Bill is a testimony to determination, perseverance and goal setting,? said Dr. Barbara Stanley, assistant professor of Middle Grades and Secondary Education. ?His dreams of becoming a teacher will be finally realized in May.?

Haskin is scheduled to retire from the Air Force this month, after serving 27 years and most recently serving as a First Sergeant. He was assigned to Security Forces until 1992 and then became Commandant of the Moody Airman Leadership School. He has been awarded the Moody Lance P. Sijan Leadership Award in 1995 and 2000 and First Sergeant of the Year Award in 1999. The Air Force awarded him the Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal for over 1000 hours of volunteer work with the local community.

While serving in the military, raising a family, and maintaining excellence in his academic work, Haskins completed more than 900 hours of service to local public schools.

The Annie Powe Hopper Award is given in honor of Miss Hopper, the university's first dean of women. This award has been recognized as the most prestigious award presented at Honors Day.

The Marga and Mac Awards were presented to Sherita Hilton Smeadly and James E. Tucker Jr., respectively. Sigma Alpha Chi Honor Society gives both awards to the most outstanding man and woman in the senior college. Recipients must have demonstrated academic superiority as well as outstanding leadership in campus activities. A committee of students and faculty makes the selection from an impressive list of nominees.