The emeritus members of the Terry College of Business Alumni Board annually recommend five graduating seniors as finalists for the Student of the Year, choosing one student for the individual honor. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the customary interview process for the final selection, and the board decided to recognize all five very deserving finalists as Students of the Year.
“The Emeritus Alumni Board committee in charge of this award looks forward to the selection process every year,” said Natalie Glenn, senior director of alumni relations and annual giving. “While the pandemic prevented the committee from getting to know these outstanding students, they were thrilled to honor all five students as Terry’s Students of the Year.”
Here are the Terry students chosen for this year’s honor:
Emily Bauer of Snellville, Georgia, double majored in risk management and insurance and finance and earned certificates in personal and organizational leadership and legal studies. A Leonard Leadership Scholar and Terry Ambassador, she served as vice president of student relations for Gamma Iota Sigma, Insurance Society, and was one of Terry’s corporate engagement student assistants. Bauer volunteered and worked as a community engagement director and mentor at Whatever It Takes, a program tutoring and mentoring students in Athens-Clarke County public schools. She also was awarded the Leverett Excellence Award by the Risk Management and Insurance Program. After graduation, she joins Willis Towers Watson in Atlanta as an analyst in its graduate development program.
Jasmine Chen of Duluth, Georgia, earned a finance degree, minored in public policy and earned a certificate in legal studies. An Honors student, Chen served in several organizations at Terry, including president of Women in Finance, vice president of the Apollo Society, head of alumni relations for the Corsair Society, consumer discretionary analyst for the Student Managed Investment Fund, vice president of the Kennedy Society and assistant captain for the Ice Dawgs Ice Crew. She also was awarded the Excellence in Finance Award. After graduation, she plans to move to New York City to join Citi as an investment banking analyst.
Akhil Hazari of Johns Creek, Georgia, double majored in management information systems and real estate and earned a certificate in personal and organizational leadership. An Honors student, he served as a Leonard Leadership Scholar and a Terry Ambassador. He was president of the Society for Management Information Systems and was a management consulting member of the Corsair Society. After graduation, Hazari joins Deloitte Consulting in Atlanta as a business technology analyst.
Kometh ‘Tony’ Thawanyarat of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, earned a degree in economics, minored in biology and earned a certificate in personal and organizational leadership. He was a Deer Run Fellow, a Leonard Leadership Scholar, a Terry Ambassador and Honors student. He was a senator and educational affairs committee chair for UGA’s Student Government Association and served as vice president of the Economics Society. He served as director of mentorship for Terry Student Researchers and volunteered as a tutor and mentor with Athens-Clarke County public schools. He was also a medical service intern and clinical orthopedics volunteer with Piedmont Healthcare. Thawanyarat was a First Honor Graduate and received the Terry Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Economics. After graduation, he will attend the Medical College of Georgia.
Logan Vanderbilt of Alpharetta, Georgia, double majored in finance and management information systems. An Honors student, he was a technology analyst for the Student Managed Investment Fund, healthcare analyst for the Apollo Society and senior consultant with Terry Student Consulting. Vanderbilt also was a member of the Corsair Society and Kennedy Program. After graduation, he joins EY-Parthenon in Atlanta as an associate.