Morgan Jennings was joined byher father Charles Jenningsand stepmotherRaytrece Jennings at the Lincoln Academy of Illinois award ceremony.
The Lincoln Academy of Illinois honored Lewis University student Morgan Jennings as a 2023 Student Laureate. In the spirit of Abraham Lincoln, Student Laureates are honored for their leadership and service on campus and beyond in pursuing humanity’s betterment and for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities.
Jennings has emersed herself into sharing the historic African American Voices from Joliet’s Southend. For more than two years, the Matteson, Ill., student has played a significant roleas the student coordinator of the “Reclaiming the Narrative: Restoring Black Voices to the Story of Joliet” exhibit.
“Reclaiming the Narrative” is an ambitious project that focuses on regional historical collections, aiming to amplify the voices of historically marginalized communities. The educational and eye-opening exhibition is a collaborative effort by the Lewis University History Center, Second Baptist Church, Mount Zion Baptist Church, The National Hook-up of Black Women Joliet Inc., and Warren-Sharpe Community Center.
Beyond the groundbreaking exhibit, Jennings has shared her knowledge in various settings. Most recently, the formerLockport Woman’s Club/ Pat Darin internpresented “The Disintegration of Unity: Contextualizing Discontent Within Pan-Arab Ideology” at theMidwest World History Association’s Annual Meetingin Chicago.
In Spring 2022, Jennings presented “The Division and Reunification of the Middle East Through the Promotion of Various Ideologies in the Modern Era” at the Illinois Regional Conference for Phi Alpha Theta.
Later that semester, Jennings was part of the collaborative student team that won first place in the Outstanding Undergraduate Student Concurrent Session at the Lewis University Celebration of Scholarship. TheirCommunity Engaged Learning Project“Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project!”assisted Southwest Suburban Immigrant Project byoffering recommendations to support their volunteer and donation outreach as well as their social media presence.
Jennings plans to continue her history studies after earning her bachelor’s degree in December 2023. With a graduate degree, she hopes to continue to share more historical knowledge of underrepresented populations.
Lewis University is an innovative Catholic university offering market-relevant undergraduate and graduate programs to 6,500 students. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis University is nationally recognized for preparing intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, and globally-connected graduates who impact the world for the better. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.