UofSC Aiken announces fall 2020 outstanding senior student

Amethyst Marroquin to address fellow graduates

Aiken, SC (11/11/2020) — The University of South Carolina Aiken announced that Amethyst Marroquin has been selected as the Outstanding Senior for fall 2020.

Marroquin is the recipient of multiple scholarships, including the Student Leadership scholarship and the Lionel and Dot Smith scholarship, and she has been named to either the Dean's or President's List all four years. She is a member of Pi Gamma Mu, the International Honors Society in Social Sciences, she serves as a Peer Mentor, and she is a tutor for the Capstone Research Methods course in Sociology. Marroquin has also worked as the student coordinator for the Office of Diversity Initiatives.

Marroquin has become a respected leader on campus. She has held various positions with the Student Government Association from parliamentarian to community service senator, to vice-president. She is also the president of the College Democrats, the treasurer for UofSC Aiken's chapter of Amnesty International, a member of the University Judicial Board, and a member of the Chancellor's Task Force for Diversity and Inclusion. She is also on the steering committees for Latinx Heritage month and for Women's History month. In addition to her leadership activities on campus, Marroquin has established herself in the wider Aiken community as a passionate voice and effective advocate in the area of diversity and inclusion. She was the keynote speaker at the Lights for Liberty Rally, an invited speaker at the Memorial for Ruth Bader Ginsberg, and a panelist for events discussing issues related to voting and to DACA and immigrant rights.

Upon graduation, Marroquin hopes to become a fellow at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and she plans to continue working in diversity and inclusion.

Last month the university announced its plans to hold the fall 2020 graduation ceremonies in Aiken High School's football stadium on November 20. The outdoor venue allows for a safer gathering place for family members and the graduates. The ceremony is usually held in December, but as a precautionary measure, students will not return to campus after the Thanksgiving holiday, and instead will complete the remainder of their work online.

The exercises will begin at 6:00 p.m. at Aiken High School, located at 449 Rutland Drive in Aiken. The rain date will be Saturday, November 21.

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