Students Inducted into English Honor Society

Eleven College of Coastal Georgia students were inducted into the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society for 2020 and 2021. Established in 1924, Sigma Tau Delta is an honor society that recognizes high achievement in English language, literature, and writing. To become a member, students must have had at least three semesters in college, hold at least a 3.0 grade point average overall, a 3.0 grade point average in their English courses, and must have taken at least two English courses after ENGL 1101 and 1102.

Assistant Professor of English Dr. Mary McGinnis and Professor of English and Director of the Writing Center Dr. Jennifer Gray are the co-advisors for the Sigma Tau Delta chapter at the College. McGinnis has been a member of Sigma Tau Delta since 2000. Her university didn’t have an induction ceremony and McGinnis didn’t know much about the organization then. She said her goal is to now help Sigma Tau Delta members learn about the opportunities available through the organization and to help students get the recognition they deserve.

“The organization offers a ton of opportunities! They have a yearly conference where students can present their work; a journal where students can publish their work; and there are awards, like leadership and service awards, writing awards, and internships stipends,” McGinnis said. “I’d love to see one of our students selected as a Sigma Tau Delta student representative.”

Gray recalled having a positive experience when she was inducted into Sigma Tau Delta as an undergraduate at Virginia Tech.

“The inductees had a shared experience in numerous English classes, and joining together for this celebratory moment solidified the hard work we’d completed over the semesters,” Gray said. “The same thing happened here at Coastal, as our inductees bonded together in English classes and Zoom class meetings. Sigma Tau Delta is one way to honor the dedication our students have towards English studies.”

One of the inductees is Briana Fields, who Gray knows from working in the Writing Center. Fields graduated from the College in 2020 and is now a middle school teacher. However, because she enjoys the campus and loves writing so much, she continues to work a few hours a week in the Writing Center.

“She is a lifelong learner of all-things-writing, and helping others learn is a key element of her purpose. No matter what is thrown at her, whether that is COVID, internet connectivity issues, or multiple papers due on the same date, she persisted and continues to succeed,” Gray said. “Bri wasn’t able to be inducted last year due to COVID, but she didn’t forget about Sigma Tau Delta. We didn’t forget about her either, and we are grateful for the opportunity to have this blended induction class for 2020 and 2021.”

McGinnis commended the inductees, several of whom she taught in recent classes. She described Briana May as a gifted filmmaker; Tramaine Lockhart a poet; Bobbie Shropshire an accomplished, smart comedian; Katiebeth Crawford and Macy Hufstetler as talented and promising future teachers; and Callie Norton, who is her advisee, as an excellent student.

“Our inductees are a really cool, diverse group that bring a lot of strength and varied talents to the organization,” McGinnis said. “They’re all a credit to the quality of education we provide at the College of Coastal Georgia.”

Congratulations to both the 2020 and 2021 inductees of Sigma Tau Delta:

2020 Inductees

Briana Fields (Class of 2020)

Mikayla Gerick (Class of 2021)

Adam Tyler Jackson (Class of 2020)

Bobbie Shropshire (Class of 2024)

John Edward Menechino (Class of 2021)

2021 Inductees

Tramaine Lockhart (Class 2021)

Callie Norton (Class of 2022)

Briana May (Class of 2021)

Sydney Lantrip (Class of 2023)

Katiebeth Crawford (Class of 2022)

Macy Hufstetler (Class of 2022)

To view the virtual induction and hear from some of the inductees, click here.