Sara Catharine Williams

Speech Writing

Monday, October 30, 2006

 

Tribute Speech

 

            Great leaders are talented. Great leaders are compassionate. Great leaders are charismatic. [Parallelism] Tonight I am honored to be presenting this Faculty Appreciation Award, as well as testifying on behalf of one of my own personal mentors. There is no one I can think of, that is more deserving of recognition than Linda Adkins. Her contribution and influence touches everyone around her, and she continues to inspire friends, colleagues and students alike. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Linda over my 4 years as a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and there is no doubt that I would not be the person I am today without her positive influence on my life.

Ms. Adkins graduated from Marshall University in 1981. During her time as an undergraduate, she served as the chapter president for her Phi Mu Chapter. She continued working for her sorority after graduation, serving on Phi Mu’s National Advisory Council for 4 years. Linda served as the UNCW Gamma Kappa chapter advisor for over 10 years, during which she touched the lives of countless women. She helped the chapter become what it is today, and even after retiring as the primary advisor to the chapter, she continues to offer guidance by serving as financial advisor. Through her work with Phi Mu she has been named UNCW Greek Advisor of the year three times. It is clear based on her influence, that these women mean as much to her as she means to them. [Chiasmus] She is a leader. She is a mentor. She is a friend. [Anaphora]

Linda has always stepped up to contribute and risen to meet challenges. When the going has gotten tough, she has always been the first to ‘get going’ with regards to finding conflict solutions. [Antithesis]

Additionally, Linda has gone above and beyond to serve UNCW. She currently works as a university administration manager for the Dean of Students office in the college of Arts and Sciences. She oversees personnel processes of 456 faculty and staff members, as well as a managing a budget of over $45 million. She is a UNCW pioneer on the UNC Staff Assembly Executive Committee [Synecdoche], and was recently appointed at-large delegate for the statewide board of improvements by Erskin Boles.

            Throughout all of the areas of her life she is a positive and inspiring force. In her sorority she is a leader, in her work she is a leader, and in her community she is a leader. [Epistrophe]

I am so honored and thrilled to be standing in front of you tonight bearing witness the accomplishments of our award recipient. Without further ado I would like to present this Faculty Appreciation Award to Linda Adkins.