In 2020, Waynesburg University’s Board of Trustees surprised the University’s President, Douglas G. Lee and his wife Kathryn D. Lee by endowing an award in honor of them. 

The Douglas G. and Kathryn D. Lee Servant Leadership Endowed Award is given each year to a graduating senior. Nominations for the 2023 award closed Wednesday, March 15. The winner of the award encompassing $1,000 will be presented during the 2023 Commencement Ceremony. 

“This award is intended to recognize an individual with an exceptional ability of providing leadership to make a positive impact on others within the Waynesburg University community, or anywhere in the world,” the Waynesburg University website stated. 

The scholarship is a way to inspire students on how to live their life through service and their love for God while spreading love to others. 

“The older I get the more firmly I believe that as much as you water a plant and it grows, if you live your life in a way of loving others, love grows,” President Lee said. “It’s a nurturing thing. In the absence of love there isn’t a lot of growth and development. It all trickles from God’s great command all the way down to us and how we treat each other…. This kind of living is what we are trying to inspire.” 

The award was named after President Lee and his wife to honor and thank them for their constant impact and support of the university. Their names will be on this endowed award year after year as long as the university is around.

Not only does the award inspire students to live a life that impacts others around them in a positive way but President Lee stated how it also inspires him and Kathryn D. Lee to live lives worthy of this award being named after them. 

“As I sit and think about what other great honors are like this in your life, I can’t think of any,” President Lee said. “To be able to give someone an award that is in your name that wasn’t created by you, it was created by other people who thought so much about your work, it doesn’t happen. It is a wonderful moment for us.”

Last year Alyson Johnson was awarded the 2022 Douglas G. and Kathryn D. Lee Servant Leadership Endowed Award.

Johnson was a Bonner Scholar who logged a significant number of volunteer hours for different services in the community. She also played volleyball during her time at Waynesburg and helped coach the women’s tennis and volleyball teams once completing her undergraduate degree. 

“The appreciation I felt when earning the Servant Leadership Award from President and Mrs. Lee is a challenge for me to put into words,” Johnson said. “Coming into Waynesburg, I thought I would go about my daily business as a college student and graduate and that would be it. Waynesburg University had a completely different idea of who I would become and grow to be when I was that “college student.”

Johnson was very touched by this award, the award fulfilled its duties by inspiring and honoring those who set out living examples set by President Lee. 

“When graduation day came and my name was announced as the winner of this award, I was speechless at the thought that each single act I had done while being an involved student at Waynesburg came to fruition and was recognized. I felt beyond blessed that I had made such an impact to receive this award, and I am still thankful God lead me to WU and for all the people who pushed me to be the person I am to have received this honor.”