The Mary Etta Cook Communication Studies Graduate of the Year Award is named for the founder of the Communication Studies department, Mary Etta Cook. Professor Emerita Cook was a beloved teacher and colleague who served Belmont for more than 30 years. The annual award goes to a Corporate Communication or Communication Studies major who excels academically and demonstrates departmental leadership.

This year, out of a class of more than 30 graduates, the faculty chose Corporate Communication major and Spanish minor, McKayla Kirk. Kirk was honored at the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences annual awards ceremony on April 5.

Kirk received the award for her nearly perfect GPA and consistent leadership in the department. She served for two years as an officer for Lambda Pi Eta, and in that role, she organized departmental gatherings and served as judge and emcee for several COM 1100 speech contests. McKayla was also instrumental as a student representative on a faculty search committee.

The award comes with a modest check, and Kirk’s name will be engraved on a plaque that hangs in the office suite of the Communication Studies department.