Kim Fromkin Named Top College of Humanities and Social Sciences Graduate at VSU

Kimberly Christine Fromkin of Thomasville, Georgia, is the recipient of the Spring 2021 President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Valdosta State University. She is a wife, mother of six, and grandmother of two, and she graduates summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religious Studies and a concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies on May 8.

VALDOSTA — Kimberly Christine Fromkin of Thomasville, Georgia, is the recipient of the Spring 2021 President’s Award for Academic Excellence for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Valdosta State University.

The President’s Award for Academic Excellence is presented to the graduating student with the highest grade point average in each of VSU’s six colleges — Harley Langdale Jr. College of Business Administration, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, College of the Arts, James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and College of Science and Mathematics.

Fromkin will be recognized during VSU’s 231^st Commencement at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. She will graduate summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Religious Studies and a concentration in Women’s and Gender Studies.

“Being named the top graduate of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences has been somewhat overwhelming and surreal,” she said. “When I began this journey four years ago, after raising most of my children, I did not set out to be the top of anything. I took my time and planned to graduate in six years, not four. I strove to be the best me that I could be.

“Every semester came with its challenges. I looked at each task as a new adventure. I have surprised myself, honestly. I exceeded my own expectations and limitations. I enrolled in classes that I did not even think I could pass, much less make an A. I took each assignment seriously, I asked many questions, I got to know my professors, and I listened to their wisdom. I took the time to learn, and I worked very hard at it.

“My VSU experience has been extraordinary. I can only hope that as I continue my educational path I will encounter professors as great as the ones I have had at VSU. I feel as though I have stumbled across a treasure chest full of gems. My professors have not only been great supporters, but I am also convinced they know everything about their fields and then some. The library was stacked full of material at my fingertips, and if something I needed was not there, the staff helped me get it quickly. Though I am a nontraditional student, I fit right in with my class and even made relationships with students that are my children’s ages.

“I am thankful for my college experience and for my family and friends who cheered me on every step of the way.”

Fromkin’s supportive family includes husband Michael J. Fromkin; children Charles J. Fromkin, Christian M. Fromkin, Jacob D. Fromkin, Hannah R. Fromkin, John I. Fromkin, and Joel N. Fromkin; daughters-in-law Amanda Fromkin and Megan Fromkin; and grandchildren C.J. Fromkin and Carson Fromkin.

As a student at VSU, Fromkin accepted invitations to join Phi Sigma Tau: The International Honor Society for Philosophers and Theta Alpha Kappa: The National Honor Society for Religious Studies and Theology, and she served as a community organizer for VSU’s Undergraduate Research Council. Giving back to her community was a priority, and she made sure to find time to support individuals and families in need, particularly the homeless and the incarcerated.

Fromkin took full advantage of research and experiential learning opportunities offered by faculty at VSU. She presented “Native American Education: Before and After the Boarding School Paradigm” at the 2021 National Conference on Undergraduate Research and the 2020 Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference.

She also presented research at VSU’s Undergraduate Research Symposium — “Mary, The Mother of God: A Knight of Faith in Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling” (2021), “Symbolism of God the Mother” (2020), and “Rewriting Jesus as the ‘Son’ and ‘Chosen’ of God: A Textual Criticism of John 1:34” (2020). The latter two were published in the VSU Omnino Undergraduate Research Journal.

Fromkin’s creative writing — poetry, fiction, and nonfiction — was published 12 times over a three-year period in Southern Regional Technical College’s The Inkwell Literary Magazine and VSU’s Odradek Literary Journal. She served as editor-in-chief, consultant and contributor, and assistant editor of The Inkwell Magazine during her freshman, sophomore, and junior years.

Fromkin’s commitment to academic, research, leadership, and service excellence resulted in her earning repeated Dean’s List honors, the 2021 American Association of University Women Award, the 2021 and 2020 Outstanding Student in Religious Studies Award, the 2021 Outstanding Student in Philosophy and Religious Studies Award, and a Best Paper Award at VSU’s 2020 Undergraduate Research Symposium.

“After graduation I plan to continue my education with a master’s degree and then a doctorate in the field of philosophy and religious studies,” she said. “I am applying to Harvard, Vanderbilt, and Arizona State University. My career goal is to become a professor.”