Walsh University has selected two members of the Class of 2022 to receive the most prestigious honors, the Tower of Excellence Award and the Outstanding Student Award.
Skyler Stewart has been named the 2022 Tower of Excellence Award recipient. This award is presented to the senior who has displayed outstanding leadership qualities, exemplary interest in co-curricular and extracurricular work, and social and moral behavior that fulfills the mission of Walsh University.
Tower of Excellence Award Recipient Skyler Stewart
Government & Foreign Affairs
Sociology/Criminal Justice
Coshocton, Ohio
Through her Walsh University experience, Skyler Stewart has found her community and her voice as a leader on campus. Skyler will graduate this May with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Government and Foreign Affairs and Sociology/Criminal Justice.
A student-athlete on the Track and Field team, Skyler has held a number of leadership roles at Walsh. Skyler is currently President of the Black Student Union and previously served the organization as Vice President and Student Senator. As Vice Senate Chair for Walsh University Student Government, Skyler served as social media coordinator and composed four resolutions. She also provides mentorship through the Walsh Peer Mentoring Program and Walsh Mosaic Multicultural Student Orientation, and previously served as a Cavs Crew Leader.
Skyler has remained active on campus through membership in numerous organizations and committees including The Garage, Cav Bash, Cavs Cor Cordium, College Democrats, Walsh W.O.W., Latinx, Lead for Walsh, the Walsh Student Conduct Board, Active Minds, and the Student Life Support Services Subcommittee.
In addition to her campus involvement, Skyler seeks ways to contribute to the surrounding communities as well. In 2021, Skyler participated in the United Way of Greater Stark County’s Project Blueprint, a unique program designed to recruit, train and connect diverse volunteer leaders. She has volunteered her time with organizations such as North Canton Church of Christ, Hartville Flea Market and the Canton Hall of Fame. In 2021, Skyler’s essay was selected as the winner of Walsh’s MLK Jr. Essay Contest in which students were invited to submit essays focused on how the Walsh community can come together to promote peace, justice and equity.
After graduation, Skyler plans to work in the public sector before enrolling in law school.
Senior Alyssa Viscounte has been recognized as the 2022 Outstanding Student Award recipient, Walsh's most prestigious student academic honor. Awarded to a graduating senior, the recipient must have earned a very high cumulative grade point average (typically greater than 3.9) and demonstrated interdisciplinary excellence, a high level of intellectual curiosity and a consistent commitment to academic rigor and depth.
Outstanding Student Award Recipient Alyssa Viscounte
Major Psychology, Community/Clinical
Minors Biology, Philosophy and English
Louisville, Ohio
Alyssa Viscounte is an outstanding and well-rounded Honors student who began her college career at Walsh University as Bio-chem Pre-med major then changed course to pursue a degree in Psychology with minors in Biology, Philosophy and English. Her academic achievements have earned her Dean’s List honors every semester since her freshman year as well as acceptance to the Sigma Beta Honors Society and Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology.
Viscounte has been active on campus through the Honors Program and as a scholar-athlete participating in cross country and track and field. During her junior year, she completed an internship at the Alliance Area Domestic Violence Shelter where she participated in victim advocacy training, victim intake and hotline calls, and fundraising. For the past year, she has served as a writing and English tutor to help other students with editing, developing cohesive writing styles and concept development.
She recently presented her Honors Thesis titled Novella: idyllic, a metaphorical poem about domestic abuse that enabled her to explore her expressionist side as she derived influence from her earlier writings.
Following graduation, Viscounte looks forward to attending graduate school for English. After she completes her master’s degree, she plans to complete a doctoral program and eventually teach at a university. Her interests include Gender and Sexuality in Literature, Modernist and Contemporary American Literature and Domestic Abuse and Human Trafficking Victim Advocacy.
