Emmanuel Mong, a member of the Class of 2017, is the recipient of the inaugural Reverend and Mrs. Louis T. (Barbara) Cannon Sr. Graduating Senior Academic Award. Mong received a check for $1,000 and a framed certificate.  The award will be presented annually at Claflin to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average.  Mong, a computer science major from Nigeria, was one of 10 graduating seniors who made school history by achieving cumulative 4.0 grade point averages - the most by any graduating class at Claflin.

Mong was selected to issue the "Senior Challenge" to the Class of 2017 through the criteria used to determine the Top Honor Graduate. He has accepted a position with Survey Monkey in San Francisco, Calif.

"I am truly honored and grateful for this award," said Mong. "I am immensely appreciative for the generosity of Rev. and Mrs. Louis Cannon and their gift which will assist me in transitioning from college to my position at Survey Monkey," he said .

Rev. and Mrs. Louis Thomas Cannon Sr. are long-time supporters of Claflin. The couple established the award "to assist young people in their future endeavors who have acquired a higher education in a Christian environment." Reverend Cannon graduated summa cum laude from Claflin in 1959 with bachelor's degrees biology and chemistry. He spent most of his professional career as a research microbiologist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He has authored and co-authored 13 papers and served as an instructor in tropical, microbial and fungal diseases at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. and Kenya National Institute of Tropical Disease, Nairobi, Kenya. While working in Kenya and visiting Mexico, he amassed an art collection and donated pieces to Claflin.

 

To be considered for this ranking, schools must be institutionally accredited, public or private not-for-profit institutions and offer at least 10 total programs. The main data points considered when ranking universities include:

This past March, Claflin University student Ngan Kim Nguyen was one of eight HBCU students to make a presentation for Educational Testing Service (ETS) at a private awards ceremony and dinner. Nguyen, a recipient of the 2016-2017 ETS Presidential Scholarship, made a presentation titled "Powerful Headlines in Advertising: From Attention to Action." "It is very clear from the depth of knowledge and the skills at presenting her subject that Ngan has received an excellent education at Claflin University," said Walt McDonald, president and CEO of ETS. "It was truly a pleasure to meet and get to know Ngan and to discover the high level of achievement she has to offer," he said. 

Please join us in welcoming two of the newest members to the Claflin University Board of Trustees - Virgil R. Miller and Tom Wyatt.

 

Virgil R. Miller is senior vice president and chief administrative officer for Aflac US, overseeing individual and group operations. He also serves as the head of Aflac Group Insurance Company. Miller holds a MBA from Wesleyan, a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Georgia College & State University, and Six Sigma/PMP certifications from Villanova University. Miller currently serves on the board of the 2017 Group Insurance Executive Council, Palmetto Business Forum and the Columbia Urban League. He is a former board member for the American Red Cross and the United Way Board of Trustees.

 

Tom Wyatt currently serves as president of Sage Valley Golf Club. He grew up in Aiken, S.C. where his love of golf blossomed. He later played on the Furman University golf team. Tom graduated from Furman University where he met his wife, Leslie. Wyatt is involved in commercial real estate as well as other business interests in the Aiken area. He also serves on the University Health Care Foundation board and the CSRA Wells Fargo Advisory board.