Contact: Carl Smith

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Epsilon Eta, Mississippi State’s chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, is the recipient of the prestigious Golden Lion Award, the national organization’s accolade for top-performing chapters.

Golden Lion chapters demonstrate true achievement in chapter programming reflected in positive collegiate membership experiences. The MSU chapter is one of only nine from across the U.S. and Canada to receive the award, which is given every two years.

Chapters are nominated when they earn at least seven of 10 ADPi Programming Excellence Awards in academics, chapter operations, facility management, finance, history reporting, marketing, membership experience, Panhellenic, philanthropy and recruitment. To earn a programming award, organizations must have shown recent success and growth in these respective categories.

Additionally, Epsilon Eta members were recognized with various awards for their 2023-2024 leadership within the sorority. Winners include:

—Dorothy Shaw Leadership Award: This is the highest individual award given to ADPi members for leadership both on campus and in the sorority. The chapter was one of two to have three members earn the award. Recipients include Addison Miles, a senior supply chain logistics major from Hixson, Tennessee; Anna Kate Staup, a recent graduate from Owens Cross Roads, Alabama; and Jessica Zajac, a senior accounting and management double major from State College, Pennsylvania.

—Ruth Pretty Palmer Panhellenic Award: This award is given to a member who displays outstanding leadership in her local Panhellenic and sorority life council. Only seven of these awards were presented. Epsilon Eta’s winner is Cassidy Pate, a recent graduate from Azle, Texas. Pate served as the 2022-2023 MSU Panhellenic Council president.

—Emerging Leader Award: This award is given to freshmen or sophomores who show great leadership ability or potential and maintain high GPAs. Winners include Rachel Bowers, a senior landscape architecture major from Cary, North Carolina; Sarah High, a senior microbiology major from Petal; and Alyssa McMullan, a junior marketing major from Decatur.

—Mary Esther Hedley Van Akin Advisor Award: This award recognizes advisors who have given more than five years of loyalty and service to the sorority. Only seven of these awards were given. Epsilon Eta’s recipient is Evelyn Jones, the executive chapter and recruitment advisor for ADPi at MSU.

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