Leigh Ann Overlaur Earns Outstanding Humanities, Social Sciences Student Award at VSU

Leigh Ann Overlaur of Valdosta, Georgia, is the recipient of Valdosta State University’s 2023-2024 College of Humanities and Social Sciences Outstanding Student Award. She is pictured with Dr. Richard A. Carvjal, president of VSU; Dr. James LaPlant, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences; and Dr. Sheri Noviello, interim provost and vice president for the Division of Academic Affairs.

VALDOSTA — Leigh Ann Overlaur of Valdosta, Georgia, is the recipient of Valdosta State University’s 2023-2024 College of Humanities and Social Sciences Outstanding Student Award.

Overlaur was recognized during VSU’s annual Academic Honors and Awards Dinner on April 25.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences Outstanding Student Award is presented to a student with a record of academic excellence and distinguished service inside and outside the classroom.

“Being recognized with this award really solidifies all that I have accomplished at VSU,” she said. “I am honored to represent the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and this university, as they both mean so much to me. The continuous support from the amazing faculty and staff here at VSU has allowed me to be where I am today. I have witnessed first-hand how this university cares for the success of its students and assists them in every endeavor, and I am proud to call it my alma mater.”

Overlaur graduated May 4 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Minor in Political Science. She plans to continue her education at Samford University Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama.

Highlights of Overlaur’s time as a student at VSU include the following:

- Serving as an intern in the Georgia House of Representatives in Atlanta during the 2023 session as part of the Georgia Legislative Internship Program.

- Studying abroad in London, England, during the summer of 2023.

- Presenting at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

- Having her article, “Seduction’s Influence on Fallen Women: Analyzing Victorian Literature’s Perception on Patriarchal Theory,” published in Volume 13 of Omnino, VSU’s Undergraduate Research Journal.

- Working as a student assistant in the Office of Alumni Relations.

Her supportive family includes parents Kevin and Lori Overlaur, brother Steven Overlaur, and dog Lexi. She is also grateful for the faculty and staff at VSU for supporting and encouraging her over the past four years.