Jonesboro, AR – Contributed – Six Arkansas State University students and one recent alumna were selected as Distinguished Student Award (DSA) winners for the 2025–26 academic year.

The high-achieving students will be honored during Convocation of Scholars, which recognizes the university’s top performers. 

During the ceremony, one of the seven will be announced as the recipient of the 2026 R.E. Lee Wilson Award, chosen on the basis of character, determination, involvement and academic achievement.

The Wilson Award candidates are Salma Abdel-Karim of Jonesboro; Rocco Hicks of Prattsville, AR; Kyle Johnson of Nassau, the Bahamas; Kalayna King of Conway; Mollie McClain of Marianna; Julia Renee Pye of Sheridan and Ahniya Williamson of Nashville, AR.

Students are nominated by faculty and staff members and selected by a committee. They have contributed significant service to the university. The committee also considers participation and leadership in student organizations along with scholastic achievement.

Read more to learn about the DSA winners and Wilson Award nominees:

Salma Abdel-Karim:

A senior graduating in May with a double major in biological sciences and chemistry in the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics with a 4.0 GPA, Abdel-Karim is from Jonesboro.

She has maintained a 4.0 GPA each semester at A-State, earning a permanent spot on the Chancellor’s List and the Honors Director’s List and being named a Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics Undergraduate Scholar. She has also received a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship Grant (SURF) from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education. 

Abdel-Karim has held several leadership roles on campus, including serving as president, treasurer and vice president of the Muslim Student Association and as treasurer of Women in Science. She also served as a junior representative for the Student Research Council, a college ambassador and conducted research in several undergraduate labs on campus. She has extensive oral and poster research presentation experience.

Following graduation, Abdel-Karim will begin medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. She was nominated by Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, professor and director of environmental sciences and the molecular biosciences graduate programs, who served as her research mentor. 

Rocco Hicks:

A political science and communication studies major in the College of Liberal Arts and Communication with a 4.0 GPA will graduate in May. He is from Prattsville, AR. 

A member of the Chancellor’s List for all seven semesters, Hicks was a 2025 national finalist for the Truman Scholarship, a university nominee for the Rhodes Scholarship, and attended the prestigious Harvard University Public Policy and Leadership Conference. In addition to various other scholarships and academic achievements, he has received several notable honors.

Hicks is an active member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, where he has held leadership roles including president, vice president, and sergeant at arms. During his time at A-State, he also served as debate recruitment chair and team captain and as a communications coach in the A-State Communication Center.

He was also selected as a model senator at the Academy for Public Service and attended the Arkansas Student Congress. Hicks studied abroad in London with the Chancellor’s Leadership Class and in Northern Ireland as a Fulbright UK Summer Institute scholarship recipient.

Hicks’ advisers are Justin Gibson and Brandon Tabor. He was nominated by Jennifer Salo, his fellowship adviser and mentor. 

Kyle Johnson:

Hailing from Nassau, the Bahamas, Johnson is a biological sciences major with a pre-professional studies emphasis in the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics and will graduate in May. 

Johnson is a two-time Dean’s List recipient, an Honors College Director’s List recipient, and a six-time recipient of the Strong Turner 3.0 Award. He was also a member of the Chancellor’s Leadership Class and the Honors College, among other academic achievements.

While at A-State, he held several leadership roles. He served as a resident assistant in University Housing and founded the A-State Caribbean Association, serving as its president. He was also president of the Student Research Council, a senator in the Student Government Association and held several positions in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In addition, he is active in numerous other student organizations, including the Minority Association for Pre-Medical Students (M.A.P.S.).

The aspiring surgeon works as a mental health associate at St. Bernards Medical Center and was nominated by his mentor, Zhedrick Jackson. His adviser is Adrienne Bradley. 

Kalayna King:

A graduating senior with a 4.0 GPA, King is from Conway and is majoring in biological sciences with a pre-professional studies emphasis in the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics.  

King is a seven-time member of the Chancellor’s List, an Arkansas Governor’s Distinguished Scholar, an A-State Scholar, a member of the Honors College and a U.S. Fulbright Program semifinalist, among other academic achievements. She will graduate summa cum laude.

Through her honors thesis, King conducted research at the Nutrition Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital while also serving as a research intern at UAMS. She volunteers with organizations including Centro Hispano En Arkansas, Conway Emergency Shelter, Student Support Services and St. Bernards Medical Center. 

She has held leadership roles such as vice president of membership for the Honors College Association, honors ambassador, SMART Center ambassador and president of M.A.P.S. King helped organize health fairs and collaborations with the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYIT) at A-State, such as CPR labs and a mentor program for pre-medicine students.

She was also part of the Chancellor’s Leadership Class, served as a student senator, and participated in study abroad programs at A-State. Her on-campus involvement extends to numerous other organizations.

She was nominated by professor Jeffery Bruce Johnson. Her adviser is Allison Allen. 

Mollie McClain:

A biological sciences major with a pre-professional studies emphasis, in the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics and member of the Honors College from Marianna, McClain will graduate in May. 

McClain is a Dean’s List honoree and a six-time member of the Chancellor’s List. She has also been recognized as the National Panhellenic Scholar of the Month, a Chancellor’s Leadership Class alumna and a member of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society and the Honors Director’s List, among other academic achievements.

She worked in the Arkansas Biosciences Institute lab with Dr. Argelia Lorence and is vice president of the Pre-Pharmacy Club. She is also a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, has served as a recruitment counselor, and was vice president for campus engagement in the Honors College Association.

In addition, she was a committee member for the Student Activities Board and an ambassador for the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics, among other student organizations. McClain also participated in study abroad programs.   

She also has vast experience in volunteer and philanthropic work, including with the Honors College Association, Zeta Tau Alpha and Volunteer A-State. Following graduation, she will pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the UAMS College of Pharmacy. McClain was nominated by her Greek adviser, Abby Dorton, and her academic adviser is Allison Allen. 

Julia Renee Pye:

A senior from Sheridan majoring in biological sciences with a pre-professional studies emphasis in the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics, Pye plans to graduate in May with a 4.0 GPA.

Pye served as an honors thesis researcher and student research assistant in the Gustafson Laboratory and was a member of the Honors College, the Chancellor’s Leadership Class, and earned a spot on Honors Director’s List and the Chancellor’s List.

She is also a three-time recipient of the Honors College Experience Grant and serves as scholarship chair for Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society. She has oral and poster research presentation experience among other academic achievements. 

She is heavily involved in student organizations on campus, including serving the Honors College Association in several capacities, such as president and vice president of administration, and as Pre-Professional Club president, a M.A.P.S. member, and an ambassador and Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics ambassador coordinator.

Pye enjoys volunteering at the A-State Food Pantry, St. Bernards Village, Jones Cemetery, and Redfield Community Center, along with other nonprofits and organizations. She studied abroad while at A-State. Dr. Lori Neuman-Lee nominated her, and Dr. Ronald L. Johnson is her adviser. 

Ahniya Williamson: 

She is a December 2025 A-State alumna who earned a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences degree from the Beck College of Sciences and Mathematics and is originally from Nashville, Ark.

A two-time member of the Dean’s List, Williamson served as vice president of the Student Government Association, as 2025 election commissioner, and held other positions. She was also chapter president for Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and served as treasurer, among other leadership roles.

While a student, Williamson was selected as a pack leader for new student orientation and was involved in the National Pan-Hellenic Council and M.A.P.S. She also served on the 2024–25 DSA and Wilson Award selection committee. She was involved with the Black Student Association, NAACP, United Voices Gospel Choir and the Pre-Professional Club.

Williamson has extensive volunteer experience with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Operation HYway Clean Up, Hope House of Jonesboro, Project HYlight and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, among other organizations and nonprofits. She works as a customer service assistant for A-State Housing and has worked on campus in other capacities. Supervisor Gaby Laureano nominated Williamson; her adviser was Allison Allen.