Ahna Johnson of Hamden Awarded prestigious Loyola Medal at Fairfield University | Press Releases

Image: Ahna Johnson Ahna Johnson of Hamden, has been awarded the St. Ignatius Loyola Medal, the highest honor bestowed on an undergraduate student by the Fairfield University Alumni Association. It is given annually to the senior who has maximized opportunities for emotional, social, and intellectual growth throughout all four years on campus and best exemplifies the true spirit of a Jesuit education.

A double major in physics and information systems as well as captain of the 2008 MAAC Women's Soccer Championship team, Ahna cited several professors who had guided her in her academic career at Fairfield, including Dr. Winston Tellis, the Camille and Stephen Schramm Professor of Information Systems and Operations Management. Tellis' class, she said, "taught me about life, not just Information Systems. As his student I was fortunate to visit Nicaragua in the spring of last year and to volunteer in a Bridgeport elementary school this semester." She said he taught her the values behind Catholic social teaching "by truly embracing those values and demonstrating them in his own life."

She said that Tellis and other professors had been "nothing but supportive of my efforts as an athlete as well; truly encouraging my total development."

Ahna, was also a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Academic All-American and 3rd Team All-American; MAAC 2008 Offensive Player of the Year; 2008 MAAC Tournament MVP and a volunteer assistant coach and a member of the 2005 MAAC Championship team. She said her coach, Jim O'Brien, "believed in me when no other coaches did and gave me a chance to play Division One soccer."

In addition, Ahna served as co-president of the Student Athlete Advisory Council and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Pi Sigma, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Alpha Sigma Nu honors societies. She helped organize fundraisers for underprivileged schools in South America and was the recipient of the 2008 Fairfield University School of Arts & Sciences Award for Excellence & Achievement in Physics.