Omicron Delta Kappa recently awarded St. Mary’s College of Maryland with the Superior Circle Award. Each year Omicron Delta Kappa recognizes Circles (chapters) that meet all the Circle Standards with a Circle of Distinction Award, a Superior Circle Award, or a Presidential Award of Excellence. Circles qualify as a Superior Circle if they meet all standards and produce two or more campus-wide leadership events during the year.
The St. Mary’s College Circle received this recognition due in part to a networking program that brought first-year students and alumni together as part of a Clay Leadership Development Initiative. The Omicron Delta Kappa Foundation sponsors the Clay Leadership Development Initiative that awards grants to Circles to aid with the costs of leadership development programming. Each year the foundation awards grants in the amount of $500 to six Circles around the country. Past grant-winning projects have included service projects, fundraisers, and faculty-student cooperative programs. In addition, the St. Mary’s College Circle participated in the ODK National Day of Service, which involved having volunteers work at the Campus Farm, active fundraising efforts during the academic year, and on-going leadership development workshops for ODK members.
St. Mary’s College is also pleased to announce that the ODK Foundation Scholarship Committee selected Emily Wavering ’13, who was also named ODK Circle Leader of the Year, as a recipient of the 2013 ODK Scholarship. Each year the foundation awards up to 20 scholarships to members who are applying for post-graduate programs. These $1,000 scholarships are available to students who have earned a 3.5 or higher cumulative GPA, were voting members of their ODK Circle, and are current seniors or have graduated within the past five years.
Joanne Goldwater, faculty secretary of the St. Mary’s College ODK Circle, said, “Emily is a student of exemplary character who exhibits responsible leadership, role modeling, and service to our college and the community.”
About ODK:
The Omicron Delta Kappa Society, Inc., the national leadership honors society for college students, recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership and exemplary character. ODK was founded December 3, 1914 at Washington and Lee University, Lexington Va., by 15 student and faculty leaders. ODK was the first college honor society of a national scope to give recognition for meritorious leadership and service in extracurricular activities. The Society is now present on the campuses of over 300 colleges around the country.