MACON – Mercer University alumna Devyn Harrod was recently selected to receive prestigious awards from Phi Eta Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies to support her pursuit of a Master of Communication Management degree at the University of Southern California, beginning this fall.
Harrod was named the Thomas Arkle Clark Scholar-Leader of the Year by Phi Eta Sigma. The award, which includes a $10,000 scholarship, is presented annually to a single member who best exemplifies the ideals of Phi Eta Sigma and is selected from among both graduate and undergraduate students.
Founded in 1923 at the University of Illinois, Phi Eta Sigma is the nation’s oldest and largest honor society for first-year college and university students in all disciplines. Since its founding, more than 1.1 million scholars have been inducted into the honor society on 378 campuses across the United States.
Harrod was also named a Phi Kappa Phi Fellow and received one of 50 awards presented annually in the amount of $8,500 to members entering the first year of graduate or professional study. Each active Phi Kappa Phi chapter may select one of its members to compete for the awards.
Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective multidisciplinary collegiate honor society, initiating more than 30,000 members a year on 300 campuses in the United States and the Philippines.
Harrod, from Atlanta, graduated from Mercer in May with her Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in media studies and Spanish and a minor in communication. She is pursuing the Master of Communication Management at USC with an emphasis in entertainment and media.
“I was so excited and humbly honored when I received my acceptance letter from USC. Mercer prepared me to attend another prestigious university and further my education. However, the tuition created a financial hardship. Therefore, receiving these scholarships has made it possible for me to attend the University of Southern California,” said Harrod. “I am so blessed and eternally grateful for the financial support received from Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Eta Sigma to make it possible for me to attend USC in August. I will never forget this generosity shown to me.”
At Mercer, Harrod served as vice president and co-founder of the Mercer Film Society, senior adviser for Phi Eta Sigma, a volunteer at the Hispanic Health Fair and presenter at BEAR Day.
She was inducted in the University’s Zeta chapter of Phi Beta Kappa and received the Outstanding Senior in Media Studies Award.
“Words cannot express how proud the Media Studies Department is of Devyn’s recent awards and how thrilled we are that she will begin her graduate career on such a high note,” said Dr. Michele Prettyman, assistant professor of media studies. “She worked very hard at Mercer as a student, a leader and in her service activities, and it is wonderful to see all of her hard work pay off. While we will miss her leadership in our program, she is blazing a trail for all of Mercer’s students, reminding them that they can compete with the best and brightest in the country.”
