Lincoln Academy Student Laureates Honored on Saturday in Springfield

By Benjamin Cox on November 7, 2023 at 10:00am

Left to right, Lincoln Laureate Stephanie Pace Marshall, Illinois College Student Laureate Shannon Engmann from Mt. Zion, Illinois College Professor Christopher Oldenburg, Lincoln Laureate Ed Curtis at Saturday's Student Laureate ceremony.

The top students representing Illinois’ colleges and universities were honored on Saturday in Springfield by The Lincoln Academy of Illinois.

The 49th annual Lincoln Academy Student Laureate program recognizes xcellence in curricular and extracurricular activities by seniors from each of the state’s four-year, degree-granting institutions. Each fall, The Lincoln Academy presents an outstanding senior from each of these institutions with the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award.

The Class of 2023 students honored at the event were Aryanna Harris of Springfield at Blackburn College, Shannon Engmann of Mt. Zion at Illinois College, Bradley Eston of Quincy at McKendree University, Graci White of Carlinville at Quincy University, Molly Harms of Springfield at the University of Illinois-Springfield.

In addition to honoring the state’s Student Laureates, Illinois is unique in the United States in selecting present or former citizens who have made outstanding contributions toward the progress and betterment of humanity to be honored as Laureates of the Lincoln Academy and receive the “Order of Lincoln” from the Governor, a process that has been in place since 1964.