Eleven students who have distinguished themselves in academic excellence, service and leadership at East Tennessee State University are the newest members of the 1911 Society.

Named in commemoration of the year ETSU was founded, the 1911 Society honors some of the university’s most notable graduates from undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.

“The members of this distinguished group of graduates exemplify the mission ETSU has pursued for more than a century – to improve the quality of life for the people of this region and beyond,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “I am inspired by their commitment to excellence and service.”

“The scholarship, leadership and service contributions of these students are remarkable,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, ETSU’s provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “They have been active in research, campus governance, and advocacy for others during their time at ETSU, and I am proud of their accomplishments.”

One of the inductees, Samuel Adenekan, was honored at ETSU’s December 2025 Commencement ceremony. The remaining 10 honorees will be recognized at the university’s May Commencement exercises.

The honorees include:

Samuel Pipeloluwa Adenekan graduated in December 2025 with a B.S. in computing, with a concentration in information technology. A native of Lagos, Nigeria, who arrived in the U.S. in 2021, Adenekan grew into a campus leader and community builder. He served as a senator and secretary of allocations in the Student Government Association (SGA) and delivered a TEDx ETSU talk on resilience and the transformative power of education. Through his work with ETSU’s Office of University Marketing and Communications, he documented historic moments for the university and contributed to multiple publications and projects. He is also the co-author of two published papers on cloud security and machine learning.

Kathryn “Liz” Godwin of Roxboro, North Carolina, is a dual M.D./MPH candidate from the Quillen College of Medicine and College of Public Health. She is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army through the Health Professions Scholarship Program. She demonstrated a deep commitment to service, leadership, and advocacy throughout medical school, organizing health outreach events and street rounds serving the unhoused community and coordinating volunteers for feeding programs, school supply and clothing drives, and health care access for vulnerable populations. Her research has focused on rural health and innovative community-based approaches to improving care. She will complete her family medicine residency training through the military.

Joseph Hernandez of Morrison will graduate with a B.S. in microbiology and biomedical health sciences. His work in Dr. Sean Fox’s lab included progress toward the Appalachian Microbiome Project and research on a bacteriocin-producing strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae with potential applications against multidrug-resistant infections. He founded the Pre-Health Living Learning Community (PHLLC) Health Career Summit, which provides ETSU pre-health students with early exposure to diverse health careers, and secured volunteer and professional development opportunities for PHLLC members. He served on the College of Public Health and Sherrod Library student councils and participated in Alternative Breaks focused on women's health and Hurricane Helene relief.  

Leah Loveday of Sevierville will graduate with a B.S in public health. This Roan Scholar’s public service led to her being named a 2025 Truman Scholar and a Harold L. Love Award recipient. As a board member and facilitator for RISE: Healthy Life, she delivers comprehensive sex education for all ages, and she helped co-launch the ETSU Elevates-awarded menstrual education initiative PEER-iod Education. She has helped deliver and coordinate rural mobile health care across the Southeast with Remote Area Medical and the Virginia Department of Health. She also served as an SGA senator and secretary of the interior.

Sarah Mohammed of Johnson City will graduate with a B.S. in psychology. The Roan Scholar won first place and the People’s Choice Award in the 2023 ETSU Elevates pitch competition to fund her research on mental health access for Black and African residents of Washington County. She has been a research assistant in ETSU’s Social Issues and Relationships Laboratory and administered mental health interventions at an ADHD summer program. She served as SGA chief justice, an academic coach, and a Preview and Orientation Leader. She was also awarded the Rising Star Award by the Northeast Tennessee Association of Black Social Workers.

Daniel Owens of Cookeville will earn a BBA degree in finance, accounting and economics, with a minor in global citizenship. A Global Citizens Scholar and Diversity Scholar, he has served as a BUCS Academy and Quest for Success leader, a College of Business and Technology ambassador, an SGA associate justice, a founding member of the Buccaneer Investment fund, and an officer in numerous student organizations. Owens completed a Global Corporate and Investment banking credit internship at Bank of America in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he will continue working as a financial analyst following graduation.

Aliyah Smith of Mobile, Alabama, is a doctoral candidate in community and behavioral health whose dissertation, “Weathering More Than Storms: Understanding the Mental Health Disparities of Black Farmers in the Appalachian Region,” examines the mental health and well-being of Black farmers in Appalachia. She is the founder of Project MANNA, a regional initiative connecting Black mothers with Black farmers to promote food access, nutrition, and maternal health equity in Appalachia. Previously, she led national programs supporting urban Indian health organizations, developing culturally grounded health resources. Her leadership has been recognized with the Citi Leadership Development Award and first place in the 2025 ETSU Elevates Pitch Competition.

Macy Strader of Rutledge will graduate with a B.S. in media and communication with minors in psychology, marketing and creative writing. This Roan Scholar served as executive editor of the East Tennessean student-run newspaper for two years and as a senator and secretary of exterior relations in the SGA. She has been a speaker and lead organizer for TEDxETSU. Strader completed nonprofit internships in foster youth and anti-bullying advocacy, and for the Tennessee state government to promote volunteerism statewide. She created Local Hearts, a concert to promote local musicians; helped reinstate BucNews; has worked in production for HGTV; and has written several novels.  

Mohammad Yusuf Sulaiman of Butler will graduate with a BBA in economics and finance. He assisted in creating the Laporte and Citizens Bank funds at ETSU, a combined $200K student-managed investment portfolio designed to teach real-world investment management skills. He represented ETSU in debate tournaments with the Speech and Debate Team, winning two state finalist trophies. Sulaiman interned at VentureSouth, a venture capital firm, where he helped launch an initiative supporting Appalachian startups. He was also a founding consultant at Appalachia Advisory, providing pro bono services to small businesses, and an intern at the ETSU Research Corporation, assisting Tri-Cities startups.    

Natalie Vaughn of Knoxville will earn a B.S. in psychology and social work with a minor in American Sign Language. She holds leadership positions in several campus organizations, and applied for and received a $10,000 Community Impact Grant from Plan B, which was used by campus organizations to provide contraceptives and protective supplies for individuals in need. In working with Frontier Health, Vaughn supports and supervises adolescent girls in a therapeutic group home setting. She is also in the Undergraduate Research Honors Program and has authored and presented research at various academic conferences.  

Aashi Vora of Knoxville is a biology major with a minor in culture and health through the Quillen Honors Scholars B.S./M.D. program. She serves as Student Trustee on ETSU’s Board of Trustees, representing over 14,000 students. Vora co-founded the South Asian Student Association, creating a lasting platform for cultural engagement on campus, and is a Student Foundation Ambassador, dedicated to growing philanthropic efforts for the university. She received the Dorman G. Stout Jr. Student Leadership Endowment for her impact on campus and community. Vora has conducted cardiac research at Quillen, served on medical brigades in Panama, and worked health policy internships with the Arthritis Foundation and Ballad Health.

The 1911 Society was established in 2020. Honorees receive special recognition and tartan stoles to wear during Commencement. Their contributions and accomplishments will be showcased on the 1911 Society wall located on the third floor of the D.P. Culp Student Center.