Longwood’s Geist Chapter of Mortar Board national college honor society recently was honored with two prestigious national awards for exemplifying the core values of excellence in scholarship, leadership and service.
Longwood is the winner of the 2025 Ruth Weimer Mount Chapter Excellence Award, the highest honor given to any chapter by the Mortar Board National Honor Society. Longwood was also recognized with the prestigious 2025 Gold Torch Award, which annually recognizes chapters for their outstanding contributions and commitment to making a positive impact on their communities and campuses.
This honor reflects our chapter’s outstanding dedication to the core values of scholarship, leadership and service—principles that strongly resonate with Longwood’s mission and focus on developing citizen leaders.
Susan Sullivan, assistant dean and director of the university center and student activities
“This honor reflects our chapter’s outstanding dedication to the core values of scholarship, leadership and service—principles that strongly resonate with Longwood’s mission and focus on developing citizen leaders,” said Assistant Dean and Director of the University Center and Student Activities Susan Sullivan, who serves as Mortar Board advisor. “Their pursuit of excellence has earned national recognition and raised the standard of purposeful leadership.”
Sullivan was honored with an Excellence in Advising Award from the same organization in 2023.
In recognizing Longwood with the chapter excellence award, the Mortar Board National Honor Society mentioned signature events such as Oktoberfest and the Last Lecture Series as ways that Mortar Board enhances visibility and showcases creativity on campus.
“This award recognizes the chapter who demonstrated excellence in chapter operations, advising, visibility, communications and participation,” according to a news release from the organization. “Longwood serves as a model chapter through early candidate submissions, active campus and community involvement, and strong leadership engagement.”
Mortar Board is one of Longwood’s over 165 student organizations. Its origins on campus can be traced to the mid-1920s, when a group of students formally organized as an honorary fraternity, the Joan Circle of Alpha Delta Rho. Over the years it went through different iterations, then, in 1993, the organization then known as Geist joined the national honor society and became Longwood’s chapter of Mortar Board. Geist is credited with transforming Oktoberfest into the event that it is today.
Founded in 1918 by representatives from five universities, Mortar Board was established to promote scholarship and expand leadership opportunities for college women. Today, the honor society includes 235 chapters across 45 states and recognizes college seniors for their achievements in scholarship, leadership and service.
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