McKendree's Andrew Wagner Wins 2019 Technos International Prize

Will Teach English at Technos College in Tokyo

(LEBANON, Ill., May 11, 2019) — Andrew Wagner, a 2019 McKendree University summa cum laude graduate from Waterloo, Ill., ended his stellar academic career with one more student honor: the Technos International Prize for academic excellence and international understanding.

Through the continued generosity of the Tanaka Ikueikai Educational Trust, a graduating senior is selected by the faculty for the annual award. It was presented at the undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 11 at the Lebanon, Ill., campus.

An honors program student who majored in international relations, with minors in speech communication and Spanish, Wagner was McKendree University’s 2018 Lincoln Laureate. Awarded by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, it is the state’s highest student honor, given in recognition of leadership, service and excellence in academic and co-curricular activities.

“He possesses intellectual talent, has an outstanding work ethic, and is a consistent and thoughtful leader, making him a model student,” said Dr. Christine Bahr, provost and dean.

Wagner was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Sigma Alpha and Phi Eta Sigma national honor societies. In 2017, he co-presented, with Dr. Brian Frederking, a paper entitled “Human Rights in the UN Security Council” at the International Studies Association Midwest Conference.

Possessing a variety of interests and talents and the drive to pursue them, he excelled as the Secretary-General of Model United Nations; former president of the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity; and captain of the university speech team, winning numerous awards at national forensic tournaments. In addition, he led the mellophone section in the Marching Bearcat Band and the French horns in the Concert Band and the Wind Ensemble.

As a junior, Wagner discovered a passion for teaching as a volunteer Spanish instructor at Trinity Lutheran Middle School in Edwardsville, Ill. He will move this summer to Tokyo to begin a highly competitive, yearlong paid fellowship as an English language teaching assistant at Technos International College, where he spent two weeks as a McKendree sophomore.

“We are so proud of him for having been selected for this opportunity,” said the provost. “We know he will do a wonderful job and represent McKendree well wherever he goes in the world.”

 

A rainy commencement ceremony on May 11 didn’t dampen the spirit of McKendree University graduating senior Andrew Wagner, winner of the 2019 Technos International Prize

 

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