Westminster Choir College of Rider University Graduating Senior Heather Jones Receives President's Award

Related Media

Heather Jones ’12 will walk during the Westminster Choir College of Rider University commencement on Saturday, May 12.

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ (05/09/2012)(readMedia)-- Heather Jones '12 of Spartanburg, S.C., was one of the three undergraduate students to receive Rider University's prestigious President's Award.

Each year, the President's Award is given by Rider to one Westminster Choir College and two Lawrenceville campus seniors, who have demonstrated an exemplary record of academic performance, extracurricular achievement, and service to the University. The highly competitive selection process is lead by the dean of students and supported by faculty and staff who comprise the search committee.

Jones was first presented the award at the Westminster Choir College Spring Convocation on the Princeton campus, and later at the University Awards Banquet on April 28 on the Lawrenceville campus.

Among Heather Jones' impressive achievements are a 3.96 GPA, participation in Rider's Baccalaureate Honors Program and a seven-time membership on the Dean's List. An Andrew J. Rider scholar, she has been named to Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges and has received the Presidential Scholarship each year since 2008. Just this spring, Jones was chosen by faculty to participate in the prestigious Charlene Archibeque Undergraduate Conducting Master class.

Her service to the University community has included social activities chair and student chair of the Academic Planning Committee, member of Sigma Alpha Iota, member of the Westminster Opera Theater and Music Theater production staff and a Westminster Eco-Rep. She has also worked for Rider's Office of Admission and as a Study Tours counselor. Off campus, Jones serves as director of the Laudate Children's Music Education program at Princeton Presbyterian Church and alto section leader for the Community Congregation Church, and volunteers with the McCarter Education Department Music Theater program.

Upon graduation, Jones will serve as the director of Children's Choirs at Community Congregational Church in Short Hills, N.J. She plans to continue her voice lessons and musical study, and pursue graduate school to study voice or conducting. Much to Jones' surprise, her parents came all the way from South Carolina to attend Westminster's spring convocation.

"I have genuinely enjoyed the activities and jobs I've held on campus, but being recognized for them in such a touching way has been the icing on the cake," Jones said. "I'm extremely thankful for Westminster and Rider faculty and administration for the nomination, for those in the Associate Dean of Students' office who got my parents here without me knowing, for my family, and for my four years here."

Jones will walk during the Westminster Choir College of Rider University commencement on Saturday, May 12.