Brownwood News – Audrey Simpson, a spring 2019 graduate of Howard Payne University, was recently named one of thirty recipients of the Sigma Beta Delta National Scholarship.
Simpson graduated from HPU with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and is now studying online toward a master’s degree in marketing at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Originally from Cuero, she currently works as social media coordinator for Wes-Tex Printing in Brownwood. She also attends Brownwood Community Church and serves as a youth volunteer at the church.
“Audrey was an excellent student at HPU and has very creative ideas,” said Dr. Debra Powell, associate professor of business and president of HPU’s branch of Sigma Beta Delta. “She was involved in many campus activities as a student and is a perfect example of a Sigma Beta Delta member.”
Dr. Powell, Dr. Jim Finch, professor of business administration, and Mike Dillard, assistant professor of business administration, nominated Simpson for the scholarship, with the approval of Dr. Brad Lemler, dean of the School of Business and professor of accounting.
“I am very grateful to Dr. Powell, Dr. Finch, Professor Dillard and Dr. Lemler for nominating me and for seeing something in me,” she said. “I’m also grateful to the HPU athletic department for giving me a place to be a part of a community and to my family for being so supportive. I did this with the help of my teachers, coaches, friends, family and the faculty and staff at HPU.”
While an undergraduate student at HPU, Simpson played on the Lady Jackets softball team, was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and served as a softball representative in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She also was a member of business honor societies Sigma Beta Delta and Phi Beta Lambda, the university level of Future Business Leaders of America.
Her time at HPU has influenced her both academically and professionally, but the personal lessons offered by professors and other mentors have been particularly meaningful to Simpson.
“The wisdom I took in from the faculty at HPU prepared me more than anything else,” she said. “No matter which professor was teaching the class, there was always a life lesson to go along with the topic of the day. I might not always remember the margin of safety breakeven analysis formula, but I am going to remember that my purpose in life is far more than just academics and that God placed me here for something bigger.”
Sigma Beta Delta is a national business honors society that admits members who have demonstrated scholastic excellence in business, marketing and administration. It has more than 100,000 individual members in chapters located at institutions throughout the United States.
