Ten seniors received UT-s Torchbearer award, highest given to students, at Wednesday-s honors convocation.
Among the 10, four are from East Tennessee: Melissa Jean Freeman of Knoxville; Joseph Caldwell of Oak Ridge; Kristi Disney of Greenback; and Brandi Wilson of Athens.
Other recipients are Will Carver of Gallatin, Christan Miller of Memphis, Caleb Riser of Gray Court, S.C., Erin Schwie of Germantown, Becky Sparks of Brentwood, and Gealita Sylvester of Nashville.
The Torchbearer award honors academic achievement and service to the university and community.
Freeman, a finance major, has worked with Habitat for Humanity and the Alternative Spring Break program.
Caldwell, who is in the College Scholars Program, has been active in fraternity affairs and currently is in Ireland as a chaperon with Parade magazine’s Young Columbus program.
Disney, who will graduate with a degree in social work, has done outreach work in India and Croatia and locally with Shannondale Nursing Home and the Red Cross.
Wilson, a psychology major, is a member of the UT board of trustees and has done volunteer work at several Knoxville area agencies.
Carver, immediate past president of the Student Government Association, has led the student effort in Nashville for more state funding for UT. He is a sports management major and was the recipient of the Howard Baker Leadership Award.
Miller, a finance major, is chairman of the Undergraduate Academic Council and is president of Omicron Delta Kappa honor society.
Riser, an architecture major, has served on the Campus Beautification Committee, the Charter Day Committee and the Traffic and Parking Authority. He is a volunteer with East Tennessee Children-s Hospital.
Schwie is a Whittle Scholar in the College Scholars Program. She has donated countless hours to the Boys and Girls Club, the Love Kitchen, and the March of Dimes and has been selected to serve in the Peace Corps in Central America.
Sparks is coordinator of Alternative Spring Break and is a member of UT-s Traffic and Parking Authority. She is majoring in international business and Spanish.
Sylvester just completed her term as vice president of student government. She is active in the Black Cultural Center Task Force, volunteers with several community organizations and is a marketing major from Nashville.