Savannah State University’s annual Honors Convocation recognizes the academic achievements of its students. This year’s ceremony was held on March 26 at 10 a.m. in the Tiger Arena. Each year, gold medallions are awarded to students with a GPA of 4.0; silver to a GPA of 3.99-3.5 and bronze to 3.49-3.0.

The top students set to graduate this year from each college – business administration, liberal arts and social sciences, and sciences and technology – spoke to their peers about their accomplishments.

Kyoung Hoon Cho, a native of Korea, began studying English as a second language before enrolling at Savannah State. “I remembered back to my South Korean studies, I struggled in mathematics. So naturally, I chose to study accounting. Although accounting was difficult, I knew if I worked hard, I could master it,” Kyoung said. He has excelled in the field of accounting in the College of Business Administration. He was awarded a gold medallion in 2014 and has earned President’s List standing for the last five semesters.

Daniqua Denson earned the top spot in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences while majoring in sociology and earning a minor in behavior analysis. She encouraged fellow students to find a balance in their academic life, without losing sight of the objective. “We all are capable of being great, but not everyone will see that potential,” she said.  “You have to see it within yourself first, and that is when you will notice how smart, driven and ambitious you are.” Originally from Flint, Mich., Denson is a three-time silver medallion recipient, five-time President’s List and two-time Dean’s List awardee.

Vanda Johnson, originally from Staten Island, NY, is a Naval Reserves Officers Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship recipient and currently the Midshipmen Commanding Officer. After graduation, the soon-to-be Surface Warfare Naval Officer will board the USS DDG 75 Donald Cook stationed in Rota, Spain. She reminded students that tenacity is what will get one through the difficult days. “Remember that academically tenacious students are simply ordinary individuals with the deepest desire to give back,” she said. “Whether we give back through community service or mentor fellow students struggling in school, it is important that we take advantage of opportunities to share our knowledge and help others.” She is also a three-time silver medallion recipient and a three-time President’s List and Dean’s List awardee.

Brittany Bush, a senior biology major, is the Savannah State’s Board of Regents Academic Achievement Award recipient. Resolutions from both the House of Representatives and Senate naming her as such are read on the floor of the Georgia General Assembly and entered into the official record. Bush is a Minority Access to Research Careers, Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (MARC U-STAR) Program scholar. Bush plans to become a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology. Last summer, she engaged in research at University of California, Davis, related to reproductive biology.