Lindsey Strickland Earns Education, Human Services Highest Academic Achievement Award at VSU

Lindsey Strickland of Homerville, Georgia, is the recipient of Valdosta State University’s 2023-2024 James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services Highest Academic Achievement Award. She is pictured with Dr. Richard A. Carvajal, president of VSU; Dr. David Slykhuis, dean of the College of Education and Human Services; and Dr. Sheri Noviello, interim provost and vice president for the Division of Academic Affairs.

VALDOSTA — Lindsey Strickland of Homerville, Georgia, is the recipient of Valdosta State University’s 2023-2024 James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services Highest Academic Achievement Award.

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

The James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services Highest Academic Achievement Award is presented to a student with a record of academic excellence and distinguished service inside and outside the classroom.

“Winning this award is both a pleasure and an honor, but it is not necessarily the defining moment of my time at VSU,” she said. “It is more like the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae — an extra touch that makes everything feel complete. My overall experience at VSU has been shaped by the people that I have met, the friendships that were built, and the community that I have found here at VSU. I hope that this award will serve as a reminder of the journey that I have had and the people who have supported me along the way.”

Strickland graduated May 4 with a Bachelor of Science in Education in Middle Grades Education Mathematics and Science. She plans to teach mathematics at Hahira Middle School, where she hopes to instill a love of learning in her students. She wants to continue her education in the near future “so that I can learn more ways to help my students be successful not only in the classroom but also in life, wherever it may take them.” 

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

- Getting to speak at the 2024 Educators Rising National Conference in Orlando, Florida.

- Volunteering at the STEAM Center for Applied Creativity and Innovation and helping young learners get excited about science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, an experience that allowed her to realize her love for teaching.

- Meeting new people and making memories with friends.

“I have always felt like VSU was home to me,” she said. “I have made many new friends; some were ‘for a while’ friends and others I know will be my friend for life. Let me tell you about my very first friend here at VSU, Daisha Marshall of Ocilla, Georgia. It is a story of kindness. We were both in the same scholarship and had left our first meeting. I noticed that she was lingering behind everyone else. She also looked like she was searching for something. Based off the look on her face, I could tell that it was something important, so I walked over to her. I asked her if everything was okay, and she told me that she had lost her 1Card. If you know anything about dorm life at VSU, you’ll know how important a 1Card is. I helped her look for it, but we were unsuccessful. I did not want to leave her stranded, so I offered to take her to the 1Card office to get a new one. On the way there and back, we became friends, and the rest is history. I am grateful for VSU and the kindness and togetherness that was shown that day.”

Her supportive family includes parents Lenora and Raymond Strickland, sister Stephanie Smith, and brother-in-law Arthur Smith.