In his will Dr. Merrill Freeman, who died in 1919, provided for two medals to be awarded annually to students selected by the administration of The University of Arizona. Born in 1844 in Ohio, Dr. Freeman moved west, was a Wells Fargo agent and worked in mining and banking. He served The University of Arizona as a regent and as a chancellor and received an honorary doctorate in law from the University.
Past Freeman Medal Recipients
2013 Outstanding Senior Award Recipients:
Lexi Shinn
Lexi Shinn will graduate Magna Cum Laude with a degree in accounting and a minor in French.
Within the Honors College, Lexi joined Xtreme Discovery Teams, a program dedicated to inspiring local middle and high school students to pursue higher education. After a year of volunteering in Tucson classrooms, she transitioned into the role of undergraduate coordinator, and has been overseeing the program's operations since 2011. In addition, Lexi worked as a program assistant for the Honors College’s Summer of Excellence, serving as the resident assistant for more than 100 high school students who took classes at the UA over the summer.
Lexi served as vice president of internal affairs on the Panhellenic Executive Council and then was elected to serve as president. Her contributions to Greek Life resulted in her being honored as Greek Woman of the Year. Lexi is currently a member of Mortar Board National College Senior Honor Society, and she plans to stay active with the organization as an alumnus.
Upon graduation, Lexi will complete an audit internship in Seattle with Deloitte & Touche, a public accounting firm. In the fall, she will return to the UA to obtain a master’s degree in accounting.
Jon Denton-Schneider
Jon Denton-Schneider will graduate Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in entrepreneurship and business economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish (Portuguese concentration).
Jon worked as a research and database assistant for the Eller College of Management Economic and Business Research Center. He is a peer athletic leader and received a CATS Life Skills Award from Arizona Athletics. He is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma and Delta Sigma Pi honor societies.
Jon is a three-year letterman on the UA swimming team, competing this season as a redshirt junior after a knee surgery that saw him through a difficult year of recovery and return to the pool. He will finish his NCAA eligibility next year.
Jon’s parents instilled in him strong moral values and a vigorous work ethic that drive him to improve others’ lives. He volunteered more than 80 hours with organizations such as the Community Justice Boards, which use restorative justice to reduce juvenile crime and build brighter futures for Tucson youth. He served as co-chair of the Swan board.
Following graduation Jon will begin a master’s degree in Latin American studies at the UA , focusing on the history and economic development of Brazil and Mexico. He wants to found companies and consult in Latin America with the goal of improving governments, markets and lives in the region. In addition, Jon plans to launch FITTID SPORT, the startup he and three other UA swimmers created in the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship which makes custom-fit racing suits for competitive swimmers.
