Mount Mercy University graduate RoyShawn Webb, a native of Cedar Rapids, received the Sister Mary Frances Warde Award during the 2021 Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 16. Webb graduated with a degree in psychology.
This award is the highest honor given to a student who transferred into Mount Mercy and has acquired a minimum of 30 credit hours at the university. It is conferred upon the graduate who, in addition to a high scholastic rating (3.0 or above), has exemplified to a marked degree cooperation with administration, faculty, and students and leadership and loyalty in furthering the ideals of Mount Mercy. The award is named for Sister Mary Frances Warde, who founded the Sisters of Mercy in America in 1843.
Webb transferred to Mount Mercy from Iowa Central Community College. He was the keynote speaker for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration, was one of the first students to do a social justice research project with employees on campus and the Cedar Rapids Community School District, and was a leader on the men’s basketball team.
Mount Mercy Men’s Basketball Coach Aaron Jennings said, “He is very rarely the loudest person in the room, but leads by example. His intensity, focus, and commitment to whatever is in front of him is infectious.”
In the classroom, Webb’s willingness to learn and ask questions made him an ideal student, classmate, and peer. A professor noted that it is evident other students enjoy having Webb in their groups.
Webb is planning on continuing his education at the graduate level in Mount Mercy’s Master of Strategic Leadership program.
Congratulations, RoyShawn!
