The 33rd annual Honors Convocation kicked off at 2 p.m. last Wednesday at Taylor Auditorium.

The ceremony honors students who have excelled academically and in other ways throughout their scholarly endeavors, but some awards are more special that others. One such award is the Melanie Cox Memorial Award for the Outstanding Honors Student.

Cox began attending Missouri Southern in 1999. She was committed to elementary education and took a job at the child development center to increase her interaction with students.

On March 5, 2004, Cox passed away in an automobile accident.

This year the award was given to Jessica Tallman, senior, who gave a speech afterwards.

“I’m very flattered and humbled to be given this award,” said Tallman. “This is an extremely enlightened group of people I am standing with who deserve this award just as much as I do.”

A sub-committee is set to choose the recipients of the awards every year.

“Departments choose their outstanding graduates,” said Dr. John Messick, vice president of academic affairs.

He says the event is important because it recognizes academic excellence and gives credit to students who have done well.