WIU's Luke Named 2014 Lincoln Laureate Award Winner

Western Illinois women's basketball player Ashley Luke has been named the Western Illinois University recipient of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois' Student Laureate Award for 2014. 

The award, presented annually to an outstanding senior of each of Illinois' four-year degree-granting institutions, honors a student's overall academic excellence and extracurricular activities. Luke, a senior political science and journalism double major, will also be named the College Scholar for the WIU College of Arts and Sciences this semester and plans to pursue a master's degree in economics from Western. 

"I am very honored to have been chosen as this year's Lincoln Laureate for WIU," Luke said. "I am grateful to both the staff and the students who helped me achieve this through their support and collaboration with me. I hope to represent WIU in a positive way through this award."

Luke is the president of the Associated Students of Political Science and Pi Sigma Alpha, the vice president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the founder of the WIU Athletic-International Ambassadors, the public relations director for the Gold Key International Honour Society, committee member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the student athlete representative of the WIU Council on Intercollegiate Athletics, political science student representative for "Discover Western," a member of Phi Eta Sigma and a volunteer for the McDonough County Humane Society, McDonough District Hospital, Rocky's Reach, Adopt-a-Classroom, "We Care" campus revival, Trick the Town and the Stuff the Bus food drive.