College of Charleston Mortar Board Chapter Recognized

The Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society recognized the College of Charleston’s Cisternam Sciential chapter, which has only been in operation for one year, with three awards and an honorable mention at its conference last month.

Mortar Board – a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for their achievements in scholarship, leadership and service – provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community.

In addition to the honorable mention for the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging Award, the College received the following Mortar Board Collegiate Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Digital Communication, Project Excellence Award (for high participation in the Diversity and Inclusion Fair) and the Silver Torch Award (for Region 2 – South/Southeast).

“To win three awards and an honorable mention in our first year on campus is amazing,” says Beth Goodier, associate professor of communication, who serves as the chapter adviser. “I am incredibly proud of the student members and leadership team of our chapter.”

The College’s chapter received its charter in April 2023 with Christa Joby ’24 as its president.

“Christa and her team worked tirelessly to introduce Mortar Board to our campus, to establish our identity as a chapter and raise awareness about issues related to literacy, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging,” says Goodier, noting that the College was co-recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award in Digital Communication, which highlights great strides made toward increasing chapter health and visibility on campus.

“These awards were presented to us for our hard work and dedication to our campus and its students,” says Joby, noting that the chapter received the Project Excellence Award for high member participation in its February 2024 Diversity and Equity Fair, co-hosted with the Muslim Student Association, Asian Student Association, Students 4 Support and the Neurodiversity Initiative. “It truly means a lot to be recognized nationally for our efforts, and achieving these awards signifies the impact of our work and the potential for our chapter and the College to continue to strive for greatness.”

That is definitely the plan.

“For the upcoming academic year, College of Charleston’s Mortar Board is working to solidify its place on campus and continue building upon the strong foundation created in its inaugural year,” says senior communication major Blakesley Rhett, the chapter’s new president. “Last year’s Mortar Board class worked so hard to build the organization’s presence on campus and we are all looking forward to continuing the legacy of Mortar Board and its values!”