Liz Palmer '13 Recognized at Commencement with Lumen Christi Award
Liz Palmer '13 is the 2013 Lumen Christi Award
recipient, the highest honor bestowed on a
student.Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579 (desk)
May 20, 2013 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—At Commencement on Saturday, May 18, a member of the Class of 2013 was presented with the Lumen Christi Award, the highest student honor at Saint Mary’s College. Elizabeth “Liz” Palmer received the recognition, which is awarded to the senior who stands out in the College community as an outstanding Christian woman. The recipient of the award is traditionally someone who has excelled in leadership and loyalty to Saint Mary’s and whose presence has had a profound effect on the College community. The name of the recipient is not revealed until her name is read at Commencement.
Palmer, of Grand Blanc, Mich., majored in biology and psychology and minored in religious studies. She also completed both the Intercultural Leadership Program and the Lay Ministry Program.
According to her award citation, Palmer is a person with a positive attitude, a smile that never ends, and who is deeply committed to her spiritual life. One nominator described her as “an energy force on campus.” Another wrote: “She constantly beams with pride for both her school and her faith. The light of Christ shines through her more than possibly any student we’ve ever encountered in the Athletic Department.” Palmer was on the varsity swim team all four years as a freestyle swimmer in distance events and relays.
Palmer’s passion for her spiritual life was demonstrated in her service as a lector, an altar server, and an extraordinary minister of holy Communion. Serving as the Mass coordinator in Campus Ministry has given her many opportunities to demonstrate her leadership abilities.
As a student ambassador for the Admission Office, Palmer has shown prospective students and their families around campus and invited them to become part of the Saint Mary’s community. The citation states that, she was so good at her job that some students have come back to campus just to see her.
In addition, Palmer served on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, worked with the College Academy of Tutoring, and studied abroad in Ireland. She embraces each new opportunity in life with a joy-filled eagerness to become the person she was created to be.
Palmer was one of the 374 students who make up the Class of 2013. The class represents 33 states and one other country, Korea.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. The College’s single-gender environment has been proven, in study after study, to foster confidence, ethical leadership, and strong academic success. Saint Mary's College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” for 2013 published by U.S. News. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College’s mission is to educate women and prepare them for postgraduate success whether it’s a first job, graduate school, or postgraduate service.