{"id":33727,"date":"2026-05-15T18:52:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T22:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www2.stetson.edu\/law\/news\/?p=33727"},"modified":"2026-06-16T11:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:22:09","slug":"highlights-the-2026-graduate-awards-ceremony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stetson.edu\/law\/news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/15\/highlights-the-2026-graduate-awards-ceremony\/","title":{"rendered":"Highlights: The 2026 Graduate Awards Ceremony"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Evangelia Manias, the 2026 Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student honoree, accepted the award while surrounded by past honorees.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

On the eve of Stetson Law\u2019s Spring 2026 Commencement, the community honored the students who exceeded the rigorous expectations they faced as law students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduating students were recognized for exceptional academic performance, passionate pro bono service, superior professionalism, and more. The event culminated in the presentation of the College\u2019s three most prestigious student honors: the Walter Mann Award, the Dean\u2019s Excellence Award, and the Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cToday, we recognize your contributions to this community and to society at large,\u201d said Vice Dean and Professor of Law Jason Palmer<\/strong> in his introductory remarks to those gathered in the Great Hall. \u201cIt is my hope that you will remain committed to improving your community, wherever you might be. Law school not only teaches you to be a lawyer \u2013 it also teaches you to be a leader.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Vice Dean and Professor of Law Jason Palmer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

A Literary Connection<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Setting the tone for the ceremony, Stetson University Provost Elizabeth Skomp<\/strong>, a professor of literature, read Ithaka<\/em>, a 1911 poem written by Greek poet Constantine Cavafy. Inspired by Homer\u2019s Odyssey<\/em>, it emphasizes the value of experiences gained during a journey over the destination \u2014 a message she said encapsulates what she hoped to impart to the students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wish you all the best for graduation and your future academic, professional, and personal endeavors,\u201d she said following the recitation. \u201cAs you go out into the world, please take care, be well, and pursue great things as a Stetson Lawyer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Stetson University Provost Elizabeth Skomp addresses graduating students at the 2026 Graduate Honors ceremony.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Honoring Outstanding Achievements<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Starting with the nominees for the National Order of Barristers, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Veterans Law Institute Director Stacey-Rae Simcox<\/strong> announced the awards and honorees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 30 named awards bearing the names of individuals and organizations seeking to recognize achievement in specific areas followed. Among the awards were the Carol R. Samuels Unsung Hero Student Leadership Award, the American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education Scholarship and Leadership Award, and the Pride Award. A complete list of the Awards and their recipients can be found in the Stetson Law 2026 Commencement Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Day\u2019s Most Prestigious Honors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recognizing a graduating student who has shown the greatest promise of becoming an outstanding leader in the legal profession, the 2026 Walter Mann Award was given to Miracle Ann Amiot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s Dean\u2019s Excellence Award was presented to Nicholas Colicci<\/strong> in recognition of his extraordinary service to Stetson Law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both students served on the Stetson Law Review<\/em> Editorial Board.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Evangelia Manias, the 2026 Edward D. Foreman Award honoree.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The final award, the Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student Award, was given to Evangelia Manias<\/strong>, a pharmaceutical doctorate holder who was exceptionally active on campus, including serving as chief ambassador of the Stetson Ambassadors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her name was cast in bronze and secured to a plaque outside the Great Hall as she was presented with the crystal, flame-shaped award, as well as a check for $5,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continuing a Storied Tradition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Manias is the 28th recipient of the Foreman Award. To showcase its legacy and the qualities it represents, the award was passed between prior recipients before making its way to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Past Foreman Award honoree Aleks Jagiella-Litts<\/strong>, JD\/MBA \u201904, told the gathered audience that the award represents the spirit of service, tireless advocacy, and steadfast integrity of its namesake, Edward D. Foreman<\/strong>. She noted how he was quick to embrace emerging technology and would have been fascinated with generative artificial intelligence and its evolving role within the legal profession.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Aleks Jagiella-Litts, JD\/MBA \u201904, a past recipient of the Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student Award.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

She added that while AI might change the way much legal work is done, the values underpinning the profession will remain the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAI may make us faster,\u201d Jagiella-Litts said. \u201cIt may make us more efficient. But it cannot replace judgment, integrity, compassion, or courage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The very first recipient of the Foreman Award, Andrew Chiang<\/strong> \u201905, presented the award to Manias, who expressed gratitude for the Foremans and thanked the Stetson Law community for providing a supportive environment in which she could thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cComing from a family of pharmacists, the world of law was completely unfamiliar to me, and I was learning everything from the ground up,\u201d Manias said. \u201cLooking back, I am grateful for how fully this community met me where I was and helped me grow into the student and person I\u2019ve become today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WATCH: Full Ceremony Video<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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