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Jones and Howard Receive 2018 Greatest Contribution Awards

May 15, 2018

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During commencement on May 12, 2018, Central Baptist College presented two Greatest Contribution Awards. Preston Jones received the traditional graduate award and Naomi Michelle Howard received the Professional Adult College Education (PACE) graduate award. The traditional student Greatest Contribution Award is given by vote of the administration, faculty, and staff, to a graduate who is deemed to have enriched the lives of students and employees spiritually, academically, socially, and personally and has demonstrated his or her love for CBC by giving unselfishly of personal energy, time, talent and effort. 


Preston Jones graduated from CBC with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Worship Arts. During his time at CBC, Jones has been very involved in the music department. He has served as the President of the CBC Band, Leader in the Worship Choir, Leader in the Chamber Choir, and as the Chapel Band Worship Leader. He sings, plays the piano, guitar, and drums, and is eager to learn more. He has faithfully served his home church, New Life in Arkadelphia, weekly as the Worship Leader where he helped establish a vibrant music program. In addition to his musical contributions, Jones has served as a member of the President's Leadership Council and Student Orientation Staff. 


Jim Turner, Choir Director/Assistant Professor of Music said, Preston has contributed to CBC in being one of the best worship arts graduates to come through the program. He has set the bar in the standard of excellence. Central Baptist College Fine Arts Department Chair Tim Gunter said, In my 33 years of teaching, I have never worked with a student like him before. He checks all the boxes of the kind of student a teacher dreams about teaching. He not only professes to be a Christian, but strives to live like it he literally walks the talk like no other student I have known. He is dependable, trustworthy, hard-working, tenderhearted, sacrificial, loving, patient, kind, intelligent, talented, and more. Perfect he is not, but he comes close. 


The PACE Greatest Contribution Award recognizes a student who has had the greatest positive impact on CBC during his or her tenure in the non-traditional program. This person has enriched the lives of students and faculty and demonstrated a love for CBC by giving unselfishly of personal time, energy and talent. 


Naomi Michelle Howard enrolled in the PACE and Online program alongside her husband in the spring of 2014. She has excelled in academics, being recognized locally on the CBC President's List of students and nationally, thru induction into the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society. She graduated summa cum laude, having earned a Bachelor of Science in Adult Education and Training. Outside of her classroom accomplishments, Howard has shown a passion for service and helping others. 


Chad Linn, PACE Department Chair and Director of Online Studies said, She has used her position within the Arkansas Military Department to advise and encourage young men and women toward living out their lives in abundance and transformation, according to scripture and the mission of CBC. She has promoted our school and positively reflected the Christ centered education that the PACE and Online program provides. Dennis Rainey, Co-founder of FamilyLife, a subsidiary of Campus Crusade for Christ, delivered Central Baptist College's commencement addresses. This year's class consisted of 130 graduates, 71 in the Traditional program and 43 in the PACE program. Both commencement ceremonies concluded with student and academic processions through the Ratliff Bell Tower and a reception on the campus lawn.



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