Alexis Eckert ’25, a Westover Honors Fellow from Alton, New Hampshire, has been named the University of Lynchburg’s 2024-25 Richard Clarke Sommerville Scholar.
The award, the University’s highest academic honor, was presented on Thursday, Nov. 14, in Drysdale Student Center’s West Room.
Eckert is pursuing a double major in criminology-philosophy and psychological science, with a forensics emphasis. Her minor is law and society.
In a letter to the selection committee, she wrote that the University of Lynchburg “has changed my life,” and continued that she was “unsure if higher education was for me, or if I had what it took to succeed, so I decided to try it for a semester.”
Since coming to Lynchburg, she wrote that she has “not only survived but thrived.”
Eckert was invited to join the Westover Honors College and also has served as a Westover mentor. She’s president of Psi Chi, a psychology honor society for college students, and a member of Phi Eta Sigma, a freshman honor society.
She presented her research at the annual Student Scholar Showcase last April and works as a teaching and lab assistant in the psychological science department. “My faculty members trust me to assist and give feedback on course design,” she wrote. “I get to help them and be one of the creative minds behind assignments and projects.
“I have the opportunity to bring fresh ideas on how to connect concepts in the classroom to life outside of it to make the information more accessible. I can be a trusted voice for the students in the class and help bridge the gap between students and faculty, when necessary.”
Eckert, who plans to pursue a career in clinical or counseling psychology, interned at Virginia Baptist Hospital, in Lynchburg. There, she wrote, “I immersed myself in the daily function of the inpatient psychiatric unit and learned a great deal about the career I want to pursue.”
She had an internship with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “[I] expanded my horizons far beyond what I ever expected as a psychological science major,” she wrote.
“I became the point person on an initiative for individuals with disabilities. I was responsible for fact-finding, developing the project, and seeking feedback from experts in the field.”
She pitched that initiative and presented her work to numerous organizations, some “with a global reach,” she wrote. “I learned so much from that experience about the topic of disability, the federal government, and my place in a professional setting.
“Of these, I value what I learned about the community of persons with disabilities most because they are a significant part of the population I will work with as a mental health clinician.”
Eckert has been on the President’s List every semester. She took winter and summer break courses, sometimes accompanied by an internship, and is on track to graduate in three years with a 4.0 grade point average.
“I cherish my time at the University of Lynchburg and everything it has given me,” she wrote. “During my time here, I have received a quality education I take pride in, built relationships with some of the most intelligent and kind-hearted people I have ever met, and had the opportunity to grow, to get to know myself, and learn what I am truly capable of.
“Without this University, my life would have taken a very different trajectory that would almost certainly not have included education. Through being here, I have learned who I am, who I want to be, and what I am capable of if I so choose.
“I owe the person I have become to the opportunities I have had here and to every single faculty, staff, and student who has believed in me and given me the chance to believe in myself.”
Lynchburg’s Office of Academic Affairs received 21 Sommerville Scholarship applications from some of Lynchburg’s top academic students. In addition to Eckert, the following students were named finalists:
- Natalee Coates ’25, a Westover Honors Fellow and double major in criminology and intelligence studies from Madison, Virginia.
- Jillian Francis ’25, a double major in chemistry and criminology with a minor in criminal forensics. Coates, a Westover Honors Fellow, is from Chesterfield, Virginia.
- Andrew Gibson ’25, an art major with a graphic design emphasis and a minor in studio art from Gretna, Virginia.
- Elora Grochowski ’25, a double major in criminology-philosophy and political science, from Norfolk, Virginia.
- Jacob Jones ’25, a history major with minors in sociology, law and society, criminology, and Africana studies. Jones, a Westover Honors Fellow, is from Appomattox, Virginia.
The application process was overseen by Christy Lucy, executive assistant in academic affairs. Finalists were selected by the Sommerville-Hill Committee, which consists of Chair Dr. Jamie Brooks, Dr. Lisa Crutchfield, Dr. Thomas Ales, and Dr. Elizabeth Sharrett.
A statement from the committee reads in part: “Alexis’ time at the University has changed the way she views herself and her perception of her ability to take on challenges. Her coursework and educational experience here have helped her find her voice, advocate for herself and others, and develop skills for how to act to support those views. …
“It is evident that Alexis will take the knowledge and skills honed in her time at the University of Lynchburg and recognized with this award with her into the future as she pursues a PhD in clinical psychology so that one day, she ‘can stand in a gap of care for others.’”
Established in 1963, the Sommerville Scholar is named for Richard Clarke Sommerville, a professor of philosophy and psychology at Lynchburg from 1928 to 1947. Sommerville Scholars must be of good character, as evidenced by ideals, attitudes, observance of University regulations, and personal behavior, with an overall GPA in academic subjects of 3.5 or better. They also must exhibit qualities that were important to Sommerville: academic achievement, broad intellectual curiosity, and contributions to the University community.
