FRANKFORT, Ky., Oct. 15, 2024 — Zachariah Lawson, president of the Lindsey Wilson College Student Government Association, has been appointed to the 2024-25 Kentucky Board of Student Body Presidents. Lawson will represent the Association of Kentucky Independent Colleges and Universities and serve as the convener of Kentucky’s independent college student leaders.

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“I am deeply honored and thrilled to have been selected as the AIKCU representative for the 2024-2025 academic year,” Lawson said. “I sincerely appreciate the trust placed in me by the leadership at Lindsey Wilson. I am eager to learn and grow in this role, as I draw inspiration from my fellow student body presidents across the state. I look forward to the opportunities ahead and to the collective progress we will achieve together, making a meaningful impact on Kentucky’s student body as a whole.”

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The Kentucky Board of Student Body Presidents was established by state statute in 2013. It includes the student government leader from each of Kentucky’s eight public universities, two student leaders from the Kentucky Community & Technical College System, and one student leader from an AIKCU member institution. The KBSBP advises the legislative and executive branches, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, and Kentucky’s university presidents on postsecondary education issues and the concerns of college students.

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In recent years, AIKCU’s representative has also taken on the responsibility of working with AIKCU to convene and build a network of independent college student leaders.

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“Zachariah is a generous, kind soul,” said Christopher Schmidt, dean of students at Lindsey Wilson College. “From the moment he stepped foot on campus, he has been part of something, immersing himself into the spirit of the campus. He genuinely has a servant's heart and wants to help everyone. Zachariah isn't a big personality that takes over a room. He's simple, thoughtful, and carefully listens to everyone around; he contributes in meaningful ways. Maybe it's the English major part of him or the Christian Ministries major, but he approaches life with a big open heart. He flows in and out of different student groups, making connections with everyone, including faculty, staff, and trustees. The best way to describe Zachariah is that he's unapologetically kind.”

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Lawson is a junior majoring in English and Christian Ministries. In addition to serving as student body president, he is a peer mentor and a public safety officer on campus. He is also a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, and a Wesley Scholarship recipient, where he has an active role in campus ministry leadership. He previously served as a student ambassador and continues to embrace that role by representing Lindsey Wilson College in other activities.

 

His hometown is Williamsburg, Kentucky, where he was a 2022 graduate of Whitley County High School. He is the son of Anthony and Jennifer Lawson.

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About Lindsey Wilson College

Lindsey Wilson is an independent liberal arts college serving nearly 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Its main campus is in Columbia, Kentucky, with community campuses in 10 Kentucky cities and one community campus each in Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Service-learning is the hallmark of the Lindsey Wilson experience.

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About AIKCU

Kentucky's independent, nonprofit colleges and universities play a critical role in the commonwealth’s postsecondary education system by serving 59,000 students and awarding 13,600 degrees annually. They also have a substantial impact on the state and local economies. AIKCU's mission is to advance the interests of its 18 member institutions by promoting affordability and student success through policy advocacy, strategic partnerships, and community engagement. AIKCU’s member colleges and universities are all accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and licensed by the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.