Department Graduates 7
Posted May 8, 2023
This weekend, the department graduated students. We are proud of these students and their accomplishments and pray God's blessings on them as they begin their next stage of life.
Merry Ashlyn Gatewood (Cordova, TN) has been involved with Union's debate team, student government, President of her senior class, and Zeta Tau Alpha. She graduated with a 4.0 and completed Discipline Specific Honors and ws named the Outstanding Major. She was accepted into mulitple law schools and offered scholarships at many. Yet, due to her commitment to improving her her hometown of Memphis, she decided to attend the University of Memphis Law School on a full scholarship.
David Sheilley (Ocala, FL) graduated with a major in Political Science and Film Studies.He wrote the outstanding senior thesis this year focusing on how the decline of local media is leading to less coverage of local news. He won the Tennessee Political Science Association's John Burgess Award for Meritorious Work in Political Science. He was also involved in the debate team and finished in the Top Ten of debaters in the country. He is getting married this summer and then will begin at Washington University Law School in St. Louis this fall.
Nicholas Bitterling (Portland, TN) graduated with a Degree in Political Science and Biblical Studies. He was very active in Student Government rising to be Vice President. He completed Discipline Specific Honors in the School of Theology and Missions by analyzing what Romans 13 means for government. He is also getting married this summer and will begin work as an Enrollment Counselor at Union.
Sydney Rockwell (Jacksonville, IL) has been a cheerleader her four years at Union and was captain of the squad in her senior year. In addition to her cheerleading at Union, she taught cheerleading at a local gym. She wrote the Best Senior Thesis in American Politics examining women candidates running for the Tennessee State Legislature. She is beginning her MA in Public Policy at the University of Illinois at Springfield this fall while working for the Ilinois Student Loan Program.
Peter Homquist (Minneapolis, MN) won the Civic Engagement Award from the department. He has been actively involved in Republican campaigns in both Minnesota and Tennessee while charing Union University College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom. He spent time this summer working for Never Back Down in Iowa, the Ron DeSantis SuperPAC, before returning to Tennessee to become the West Tennessee Field Marshall for Senator Marsha Blackburn's Reelection Campaign.
Braden Garland (Springfield, TN) has been involved in Republican campaigns in Tennessee, College Republicans, and Young Americans for Freedom. He also spent part of his summer working for Never Back Down in Iowa.
Trenton Golds (North Wilkeboro, NC) won the Department's Bracketology Championship in 2022. He is working with a non-profit in North Carolina but hopes to work for an international non-profit in the future.