Kelsey Yoder was recently named the recipient of Lee University’s 2022 Zeno C. Tharp Award and was recognized for this honor during a special chapel service.

The Zeno C. Tharp Award is given annually to the Lee senior who shows the greatest promise of making a significant contribution to the Church. Established in 1955, the award is named in honor of the sixth president of Lee, who served from 1935-44. Each department may nominate one student for the award, and a winner is selected by faculty vote from the group of nominees.

“Kelsey strives for excellence in all that she does – in the classroom, on the soccer field, and at the bedside,” said Amy Blake, associate lecturer in nursing at Lee. “She was an excellent choice for the Zeno C. Tharp award.”

Yoder graduated December 2021 summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in nursing. While at Lee, Yoder played on the Lady Flames soccer team and was the team representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). She was also a member of the Cleveland Against Sex Trafficking (CAST) club and vice president for Lee’s chapter of the Student Nursing Association. She was on the Gulf South Conference honor roll, a Sigma Theta Tau International Nurses Society member, and a National Athletic Honors Society member.

“I am honored to receive this award,” said Yoder. “I am deeply encouraged by what it means. It also encourages me to keep doing what I have been doing, which is seeking God, going after the dreams He has placed on my heart, praying big prayers, and loving people intentionally.”

Since graduating, Yoder has been working as a registered nurse on a pulmonary progressive care unit at IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“I just want to be a light,” said Yoder. “Receiving this award shows me that people and God see this desire.”

Yoder has attended and organized a variety of missions trips, including those to Haiti, Michigan, and Cambodia. She has also advocated for those affected by sex trafficking. Since 2018, Yoder has fundraised toward a $25,000 goal, partnering with the nonprofit Remember Nhu, to build a house for children in Thailand to prevent them from being sold into sex trafficking.

“Kelsey wants to glorify God, and this is shown in her work ethic, her passion to end sex trafficking, and her compassion in caring for the sick and lost,” said Blake. “Kelsey is just getting started making her impact on the Kingdom. She is intentional and conscientious regarding where she spends her time in order to have time for what really matters.”