Lee University students Samuel Duarte and Elijah Joyce are the recipients of the 2021-22 Crosby Scholarship. The award was presented by Lee Chancellor Dr. Paul Conn during a recent chapel service.

The Crosby Scholarship was established to honor the memory of Dr. Henry Crosby, a close friend of Conn and his wife Darlia. Faculty members nominate a young man entering his junior year for the scholarship. The award recipient is then chosen from the nominations by a scholarship committee, and the scholarship is awarded in the scholar’s junior and senior years.

“Elijah has been an outstanding performer in the classroom since his first freshman semester,” Conn said.  “He was one of the top students in my psychology class, and I have enjoyed following his progress on campus in the two years since then. He is a hard worker and a natural leader, and I believe if my friend Henry Crosby were still alive to meet Elijah, he would be proud that he received this honor.”

Joyce is a junior finance major from Swans Island, Maine, and the recipient of the 2022 Crosby Scholarship. He is part of Lee’s Campus Choir, a student worker for the Chancellor’s Office, and a member of Lee Prayer, a student-led group that gathers to intercede for students, faculty, and staff on campus.

“Receiving this scholarship is such an amazing honor and a blessing for my life and family,” said Joyce. “I am grateful for Dr. Conn and those responsible for the selection process for recommending me.”

Duarte, recipient of the 2021 Crosby Scholarship, is a senior digital media and Spanish major from Itaugua, Paraguay. He works on the media services team as a content creator, managing Lee’s social media as well as chapel, recitals, and sports live streams.

“Samuel Duarte has been one of those rare international students who is successful both academically and professionally,” said Dr. Alexander Steffanell, professor of Spanish. “His journey through the Spanish program has been very relevant in learning about his own language, and he has not been afraid to go beyond in our department. His tenacity for success, always God-led, has been contagious among other international students. The Spanish faculty have not been disappointed by his assignments, as he fully embraces what it means to be a wonderful member of the Lee University community.”

Duarte is a Hicks Scholar, a 2021 NCAA DII Gulf South Conference silver medalist in javelin, and is working to win the gold medal this year. He currently holds the school record for javelin throwing.

“I am incredibly honored to be nominated by such respected professors as Dr. Steffanell and to have been chosen to receive this scholarship,” said Duarte. “I have no words to describe how grateful I am to be the recipient of this scholarship and to put my name and my country among so many other great students who have won this award.”

For more information about the Crosby Scholarship and other financial awards, contact the Office of Financial Aid at [email protected] or call (423) 614-8300.