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Emily Coyle ’10 and Kevin Corn ’10 Recognized by Celebrating Student Success

Washington and Lee seniors Emily F. Coyle and Kevin T. Corn were recognized at the January Celebrating Student Success (CSS) reception in the Elrod Commons.

Kevin Corn, of Lawrenceville, Ga., is majoring in American history and minoring in African-American studies. As the head resident adviser for first-year students, he supervises 51 other resident advisers and serves on the Student Affairs Committee. A resident adviser since 2007, he coordinated the Academic Peer Tutoring Program for 2008-2009 and chaired the First-Year Orientation Committee.

This past summer, Corn interned in the Office of Student Affairs, researching sexual-misconduct policies at other member schools of the Associated Colleges of the South (ACS). He also learned about first-year procedures with the dean of first-year students and assisted new incoming students and families. And as coordinator of the Leading Edge Pre-Orientation Program, Corn organized nearly 250 student participants. For his work on the residential life staff, he received the 2009 Douglas C. Halstead Memorial Scholarship.

On the scholarly side, Corn has been a research intern as a Robert E. Lee Scholar, assisting Theodore DeLaney, professor of history at W&L, with research on school desegregation in western Virginia. Corn presented his findings at the 2009 Science, Society, and the Arts (SSA) Conference at W&L. For his academic achievements in history, he received the 2009 William A. Jenks Scholarship.

A three-time winner of an athletic letter for swimming, Corn was named a Student-Athlete Mentor in 2009-09 and 2009-10.

Emily Coyle, of Seattle, Wash., is a psychology major and a member of the University Scholars Program. She has worked as an assistant to several W&L psychology professors, as an R.E. Lee Research Scholar and as a Christian A. Johnson Scholar.

Her research focuses on children’s gender roles; her honors thesis is titled “Barbie as an Inhibitor to Occupational Aspirations in Black and White Pre-School Girls.” She has co-authored four articles, which are now under review for publication in such journals as The Journal of Social Psychology and The Journal of Career Development. Coyle has presented her work at the Virginia Social Science Association Annual Meeting, the Southern Anthropological Society Annual Meeting (where she won first runner-up for a student paper) and W&L’s SSA.

A member of Chi Omega sorority, Coyle is the current Panhellenic head recruitment counselor. She is the coordinator of End It, a movement to prevent sexual assault on campus. She also serves on the Student-Faculty Hearing Board and was the secretary of University Scholars in 2008-09.

Coyle is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society; Psi Chi, the psychology honors society; and Phi Eta Sigma, the freshman honors society. She is also on the honor roll and the dean’s list.

An experienced equestrian, Coyle is in her second term as captain of W&L’s riding team. She has received the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Scholar-Athlete Award each term since fall 2006.

CSS is an initiative sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs to create ongoing dialogue about the positive accomplishments of individuals and organizations at Washington and Lee University, especially students who are not typically recognized for the depth and breadth they add to our campus community.

Corn and Coyle were selected by the CSS committee, which is composed of students, faculty and staff. Any member of the campus community can nominate any W&L student by filling out the online form on the CSS Web site. Nominations are always accepted and encouraged.

Future CSS receptions during the current academic year will occur from 2-4 p.m. in the Elrod Commons Living Room on Feb. 17, Mar. 17, Apr. 7 and May 5.