The 5 Points of Pirate Pride award is the highest honor the Division of Student Life and the Student Government Association bestows upon a graduating student. Only five graduating students may be enshrined each year. The awards are designated based on scholarship, leadership, campus involvement, service, and other achievements. Each recipient exemplifies the University’s core values of academic excellence, promoting lifelong learning and a passion for intellectual and personal growth, fostering diverse perspectives, being true to oneself and others, respecting the worth and dignity of persons, and encouraging activism in the pursuit of justice and the common good.

The following recipients were honored at the Student Life Awards Gala on April 15, 2023.

Eugenia Gabrielle Agobe ’23 Political Science and History

Agobe’s involvement on and off campus speaks for itself. She has served as the Vice President of the Coalition of Diversity and Social Justice (CDSJ), webmaster for Southwestern College Democrats, writer for the Megaphone, Sprog orientation leader, sexual health education facilitator, the United States Foreign Service intern for the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, A Political Science research assistant, a National Programming Fellow for Campus Vote Project, a Sprog Orientation Leader, a history research assistant, an admissions coordinator, and a peacebuilder intern. On top of her accomplishments, Agobe is the first person to be invited to write a joint history and political science honor thesis at the University. She was awarded the Junior of the Year Award, the 2020–2021 Emerging Leader Award, is a Newman Civic Fellow, Sumners Scholar, and Truman Scholarship Finalist.

Caden Cox ’22 Communications Studies

As a student at Southwestern, Cox had many different roles. He was the social media intern for the Marketing & Communications Department, an Admission Ambassador, a Fine Arts Administrative Assistant, Student Foundation Membership Chair, Homecoming Chair, Student Philanthropy Council (SPC) Chair, SPC Vice Chair, SPC Membership Chair, Kappa Sigma Grand Treasurer, Kappa Sigma Rush Chair, Kappa Sigma Grand Procurator, Kappa Sigma Scholarship Chair, Honor Code Council President, Student Government Association (SGA) Vice President, SGA Events Chair, SGA Parliamentarian, College Democrats member, Mock Trial Team, Student Representative on: University President Laura Trombley’s Search Committee, Staff Steering Committee, Advising Retention and Enrollment Committee, Facilities and Space Utilization Committee, Curriculum Committee, and Strategic Planning Committee. Cox was also a Pirate Host, SHARP Student Volunteer, Orientation Leader, Alpha Chi member, and Kappa Sigma Grand Conclave 2021 delegate. Along with his involvement on campus, Cox was also a Brown Scholar, Kemper Scholar Finalist, First-Year Leader Award winner, won the Western States Communication Associations Top Scholar Paper, and a Kappa Sigma Dr. Ryan Award winner.

Luke Markey ’23 Philosophy

As an active member of his fraternity and Univeristy community, Markey served as the Kappa Alpha (KA) President, Interfraternity Council (IFC) President, SGA Representative, Philosophy Society President, a member of the Men’s Varsity Cross Country Team, KA Philanthropy organizer, KA house renovation coordinator, Board of Visitors Student-Panelist, was a Kemper Scholar Semi-Finalist, a Student Leader of the Year nominee, and represented Southwestern at the 2022 AFLV-West Conference in Anaheim, California. During his time as an active member of KA, Markey led the initiative to remove the cannons that once stood outside the house and replaced them with two statues of lions. With the assistance of another student, Markey planned a volunteer day at the African American Youth Harvest Foundation, where they spent the day setting up computers and learning how organizations can more effectively take action in their community. In the weeks following, in conjunction with Delta Delta Delta Sorority, he coordinated a much-needed blood drive on campus, filling up every slot available.

Rachel Thompson ’23 Political Science and History

As a student facilitator and diversity educator, Thompson has displayed impeccable character, exceptional moral standing, upright principles, and an endearing commitment to the growth of humanity. In her time on campus, Thompson has served as the President of the Coalition for Diversity and Social Justice, a Student Director for the Center for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, the Co-President of SU Votes Coalition, the Historian for the History Union, a Democracy Fellow, a Campus Vote Project member, an Alpha Chi Honor Society member, Ambassador for the Texas Civic Ambassador Annette Strauss Institute, a CDSJ Representative for the Diversity Enrichment Committee, a Student Representative for the History Candidate Search Committee, and a Student Representative Political Science Search Committee. Along with her involvement on campus, Thompson has been recognized with the Robert H. Purl Endowed Scholarship, Earl Moseley Scholarship, Charles and Mary Forbes Presidential Scholarship, and the J Charles Merrill Peace and Justice Scholarship. She has also been on the Dean’s List every semester at SU, on the ALL IN-Student Voting Honor Roll, and won the Outstanding Student Contribution to Civic Engagement Award.

Lauren Wheat ’23 Biology

Wheat is an accomplished member of the Southwestern campus community. She has served as the President of Zeta Tau Alpha, SPC Public Relations Chair, and Zeta Tau Alpha Academic Achievement Chair. Wheat has also worked for the Admissions Office as a Student Ambassador and served as the Biology Student Engagement Coordinator. In September of 2022, Wheat biked 25 miles with Visiting Professor of Education Debbie Shepherd, a breast cancer survivor, and raised over $300 to support the Big Pink Bus, which provides free mammograms to uninsured and underserved people in Central Texas. Wheat also participates in the St. David’s shadowing program, has created the BioNews newsletter as the Biology Student Engagement Coordinator, is the Fit Family Challenge Coordinator, and is a pediatric physician observer.