Valedictorian Tarah Leake ’22, a sociology major and theatre and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies double-minor, was recently honored as the winner of H. W. Murray Medal for Scholarship. RMC’s highest academic honor, the H. W. Murray Medal for Scholarship was established in 1889 by legacy of Mrs. W. T. Goodwin of Louisa County, Va., in memory of her father. It is awarded to the member of the graduating class who holds the highest cumulative academic average.

“I am honored to be recognized as the Randolph-Macon Class of 2022 valedictorian,” Leake said. “Endless gratitude and thanks are owed to my family and friends who uplifted and encouraged me along the way. I couldn’t have done this without them!” 

Leake, an Honors student from Yorktown, Va., added the Murray Medal to a long list of academic achievements during her career at RMC. In addition to graduating summa cum laude, Leake earned the Noble R. McEwen Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Social Sciences, the T. McNider Simpson, Jr. Scholarship, the Joe E. and Marilyn J. Mattys Prize in Drama, the Gender, Sexuality, & Women’s Studies Award for Outstanding Student, and the Charlotte Fitzgerald Outstanding Sociology and Anthropology Student of the Year Award.

“Tarah Leake is one in a million and will most surely leave a memorable footprint at RMC,” said Nazneen Khan, who taught Tarah in numerous sociology courses and is chair of the department of sociology and anthropology. “Beyond her remarkable dedication to student engagement and to academic excellence, Tarah’s never-stop-working sensibility has translated into numerous academic awards and recognitions. Tarah is also empathic and caring, always willing to carve out time to serve and lift up her classmates and friends.”

A member of both Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest academic honor society, and Alpha Kappa Delta, an international sociology honor society, Leake also served on the executive board of Alpha Lambda Delta, a national honor society for first-year students, and was and volunteered with The Salvation Army and Serve the City. She also served in multiple different roles, from acting to production, in several theatrical performances on RMC’s campus, and was a member of Alpha Psi Omega, a national theatre honor society.