Professor Ruth Beeston was chosen to receive the Student Government Association (SGA) Pre-Major Faculty Advising Award at Spring Convocation on April 26th.  Below are excerpts from the remarks read on that occasion:

The SGA Pre-Major Faculty Advising Award is given to a faculty member currently serving as an adviser to first- and second-year students in recognition of outstanding dedication and guidance to those advisees. A pre-major adviser has the challenging task of greeting a group of incoming first-year students and helping them navigate the intricacies of WebTree. As in the case of this year's recipient, some faculty members go far beyond the job description, working to significantly improve the college experience of the students who are lucky enough to be assigned as their advisees.

A unique and special interest in ensuring her students find the appropriate classes and adjust to life at Davidson distinguishes this year's recipient. She welcomes her pre-major advisees into her office at any point of the year to discuss their WebTree, academic, and extracurricular questions, but also helps students realize the breadth and freedom of the liberal arts.

One former advisee remembered from two years ago that Dr. Beeston, one of the first people she met at Davidson, helped her explore areas for which she developed newfound passions and, at the end of the academic year, treated the entire advisory group to dinner off-campus. Over the years, Beeston has supplied recommendations that certainly helped her students get the classes they wanted, but she also has become a trusted mentor in our community. Connections such as this one, which permeate all parts of this campus, are what make Davidson truly special.