University recognizes student and employee leaders with MLK Jr. Awards

The University honored two students, one alumnus, a staffer, a faculty member and one academic department during the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Leaders Awards on Thursday. The awards were handed out during a ceremony in McGee Theatre.

Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford was the guest speaker. An associate professor of educational leadership at Clemson University, Hinnant-Crawford focuses her research on equity and inclusion for marginalized students in the "P-20 pipeline" (preschool through postsecondary education).

Award winners

Undergraduate student: Anna Daniels

Anna Daniels is deeply engaged in the music department, contributing her talents to the opera, the chorus and the gospel choir. The junior music major's active involvement has led to numerous opportunities for her to serve as a featured soloist for various University events over the past year. Additionally, she had the significant experience of performing alongside international artist Sarah Brightman in December.

Beyond her musical work, Daniels is president of the African Student Union, through which she promotes cultural awareness for West African students. Through this leadership, she works to bridge the connection between African and African American cultures in the campus community. Her commitment to service is further reflected in her work with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes summer camps, where she mentors young women. Professionally, she serves as a supervisor at the McGee Center and as a student liaison for event networking at the Batte Center. Daniels is also a soloist for Wingate Baptist Church and is dedicated to using her leadership to foster unity and celebrate diversity at Wingate.

Graduate student: Hamza Chahid

Hamza Chahid, a track and field and cross country standout from Morocco, is a four-time NCAA national champion and a 12-time All-American, reflecting a consistent commitment to excellence, discipline and leadership. He has a bachelor's degree in exercise science, where he was required to connect academic learning with high-level athletic performance.

Beyond athletics, Chahid has been involved with the University's Unity House, where he has developed leadership, communication and community-engagement skills. His experience as an international student has strengthened his appreciation for diversity, inclusion and service. Chahid aspires to pursue a professional athletic career while also becoming a coach, with the goal of mentoring and helping athletes reach their full potential. He says he strives to lead with integrity, humility and purpose, reflecting the values and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Alumnus: Zach Broadaway

Zach Broadaway is an accounting professional who works at AvidXchange in Charlotte. He earned his bachelor's (2017) and master's (2019) degrees in accounting from Wingate. Known for his integrity, attention to detail, and ability to translate complex financial information into clear, actionable insights, Broadaway leads with a thoughtful, people-first approach. He remains deeply engaged with Wingate, serving as secretary of the Alumni Advisory Board, where he helps support alumni engagement and institutional advancement. Passionate about service and leadership, Broadaway says he is committed to giving back to the organizations and communities that have shaped his personal and professional journey.

Staff member: Mary Coon

Mary Coon's life has revolved around learning. She received her B.A. in British literature from Miami University in Ohio and finished a master's in popular culture at Bowling Green State University, where she and her husband, former Wingate communications professor Dr. Jim Coon, met as students in a silent-film class. From 1995 to 2006, she worked as the administrative assistant to the dean of Wingate's Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, taking language and art classes for fun, joining in campus activities, and traveling with W'International groups. Starting in 2007, Coon served for six years at the front desk of Wingate Elementary School, where she says she did her most important work and experienced her greatest personal growth. In 2014, she returned to the University as administrative assistant to the Department of Chemistry and Physics and, for a while, as part-time help in donor relations in the Office of Advancement. In her "retirement," Coon works with the Emeritus Faculty group and actively looks for ways to build and encourage community both on and off campus.

Faculty Member: Chelsea Kaufman

Dr. Chelsea Kaufman is an associate professor of political science and director of the Building and Supporting Excellence (BASE) program at Wingate University. She earned her Ph.D. in political science from Purdue University in 2017 and previously taught at Penn State Harrisburg. At Wingate, , where she has taught since 2018, Kaufman's work centers on advancing civic empowerment and student success. She integrates service and community engagement into her teaching, designing courses and experiences that help students connect political learning with real-world impact. She has led two W'Engage seminars focused on the history of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights movements, guiding students through Alabama and Georgia to study the legacy of grassroots activism and the ongoing struggle for justice.

Kaufman is deeply committed to nonpartisan voter education and civic participation. She regularly partners with organizations such as You Can Vote, the New Rural Project, and the League of Women Voters to equip students with the knowledge and confidence to engage meaningfully in democratic processes, and, with the support of colleagues and students, has led multiple on-campus voter-registration drives and presented information sessions on how to register to vote. In collaboration with colleagues, she has helped expand the curriculum in the department of history and political science, contributing to the creation of courses such as Introduction to Racial and Ethnic Studies; Global Issues in Race, Ethnicity, and Gender; The U.S. Presidency; and Public Opinion. She also supports student leadership and academic excellence as a faculty advisor for the Wingate chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, which she helped to establish, along with PRISM, the 1210 Society, and the Wingate delegation of the North Carolina Student Legislature.

Organization/Department: Master of Social Work

Dr. Wendy Sellers, founding director of the social work program, says she spends most days at Wingate wondering how she landed among a team of such innovative and dynamic faculty members, including Dr. Charlesa Hann, Dr. Veronica Hardy, Farrell Wright, and Dr. Sonya Decessard. Sellers was deeply influenced by her graduate-school experience, where author Pete Ripley's tales of riding a Harley-Davidson and clandestinely sneaking into Cuba inspired Wendy to take a gigantic leap and join the Peace Corps. In Nicaragua, Sellers' hermano, Jorge Berrios, scolded her for discarding half a pineapple, "taught her how to more fully embrace all of Mother Earth's bounties," and opened her eyes to the complex intersectionality of ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. Once back in the States, Sellers stumbled upon her future dissertation chair, Rita Rhodes, who encouraged her to read There Are No Children Here by Alex Kotlowitz and think more deeply about social justice and her own immense privileges. Sellers likes to remind her students to "embrace life with lively creativity, unabashed curiosity, and childlike wonder of the infinite ways of knowing and being in this wild and wonderful world."

Jan. 23, 2026